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Modelling and simulation of heavy metals transport in water and sediments

Article  in  Environmental Engineering and Management Journal · March 2007


DOI: 10.30638/eemj.2007.021

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Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, March/April 2007, Vol. 6, No. 2, 153-161
http://omicron.ch.tuiasi.ro/EEMJ/

“Gh. Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania

______________________________________________________________________________________________

MODELLING AND SIMULATION OF HEAVY METALS TRANSPORT


IN WATER AND SEDIMENTS

Simona Pintilie1, Loredana Brânză, Camelia Beţianu1, Lucian Vasile Pavel1,


Florina Ungureanu2, Maria Gavrilescu1∗

1
Technical University Iasi, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, 71
Mangeron Blvd.700050 Iasi, Romania
2
Technical University Iasi, Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Engineering, Department of Computer Engineering, 53
Mangeron Blvd.700050 Iasi, Romania

Abstract

Heavy metals can be transported by rivers which flow through areas with industrial pollution, both as metal in solution and metal
adsorbed to suspended solids. They can settle in lakes and accumulate in the sediment, exhibiting significant effects on wildlife
and humans if they enter into the food chain.
In this work, heavy metals transport and sedimentation is simulated based on an analytical model proposed in literature,
considering the material balance and complementary equations, under dynamic conditions. The model was validated previously,
while the simulation was performed at various inflow water flow rates and inflow metal concentrations.
The simulation can be used as a tool for fast evaluation of metal transport in water and sediments, because it requires a minimal
number of measurements.

Keywords: heavy metals, modelling, sediment, simulation, water column

1. Fate of heavy metals in aquatic environment source pollution can be traced to a specific area. Point
sources include municipal sewage treatment plants,
Transport of the metals may result in overflows from combined sanitary and storm sewers,
increased contents of heavy metals in the ground stormwater discharges from municipal and industrial
water or surface water, so that contamination of the facilities, and waste discharges from industry. No
environment by heavy metals poses a serious point sources include stormwater runoff from
environmental and health risk (Gavrilescu, 2004; hazardous and solid-waste sites, runoff from
Gavrilescu, 2006; He et al., 2004; Kelderman et al., croplands, livestock pens, mining and manufacturing
2005; Prokop et al, 2003; Purves, 1985). operations, and storage sites. Atmospheric deposition
Human activity promotes the accumulation is another source of nonpoint pollution.
of contaminated sediments in water courses. These Upon entry into surface waters, heavy metals
activities sometimes indirectly increase the amounts deposition occurs on the bottom of aquatic areas
of heavy metals released into the environment by (streams, sediments, lakes, estuaries). The
natural processes. Heavy metal inputs included those concentrations of various heavy metals (cadmium,
from commercial fertilizers, liming materials and chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel,
agrochemicals, sewage sludges and other wastes used zinc) in water and bed sediments have been studied
as soil amendments, irrigation waters, and and monitored over several years (Moss and
atmospheric deposition (Prokop et al., 2003; Senesi et Constanza, 1998; Singh et al., 2005a, b; Snape et al.,
al., 1999). The origins of sediment contamination can 1995, van de Vrie E.M., 1987). Also, the relationships
be divided into point and nonpoint sources of between water flow, sediment distribution and metal
pollution. Point source pollution comes from a chemistry have been well studied for rivers and lakes
specific, identifiable source such as a pipe. Nonpoint and karst systems (Avila-Perez et al., 1999; Vesper


Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed: mgav@ch.tuiasi.ro
Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161

and White, 2004). The fate of heavy metal particles in for a lake with inflow and outflow water streams,
the environment is important because they tend to be based on an analytical model developed in literature
reactive, mobile, and highly toxic. Heavy metals are by van den Vrie (1987) and discussed by Snape et al.
contained in four reservoirs in an aquatic (1995). The model was built considering the material
environment, namely, the surface water, the pore balance of both dissolved and adsorbed to solid
waters, the suspended sediment, and the bottom particle forms of the heavy metal in the water column
sediment. During transport, sediment-bound metals and the top sediment layer, together with
are removed from the water column and stored in complementary equations: rate of sedimentation of
alluvial deposits for years before they are suspended particles settling with a certain velocity,
reintroduced into the aquatic environment. diffusion between the top layer of sediment and the
The behavior and fate of metals are water column. The simulation considers different
governed by a range of different physical and values for water inflow rates and various metal
chemical processes, which dictate their availability concentrations. The results of simulation are
and mobility in the soil or sediment system. In the presented as dynamic profiles of heavy metal
water phase, the chemical form of a metal determines concentration.
the biological availability and chemical reactivity
(sorption/ desorption, precipitation/ dissolution) 3. Modelling and simulation of heavy metal
towards other components of the system. Also, the behavior in waters and sediments
mobility and bioavailability of metals bound to
sediments depend on multiple factors, with sediment 3.1. Background
characteristics and the physical–chemical form of the
metal being the key factors (Prokop et al., 2003). Rivers passing through industrial and mining
All heavy metals exist in surface waters in areas transport metals, partly as metal in solution and
colloidal, particulate, and dissolved phases, although partly as metal adsorbed to suspended material. This
dissolved concentrations are generally low (Kennish, suspended material settles to the bottom of lakes and
1992). The colloidal and particulate metal may be estuaries and accumulates in the sediment. Aquatic
found in 1) hydroxides, oxides, silicates, or sulfides; organisms may be adversely affected by heavy metals
or 2) adsorbed by clay, silica, or organic matter. The in the environment. The toxicity is largely a function
soluble forms are generally ions or unionized of the water chemistry and sediment composition in
organometallic chelates or complexes. The solubility the surface water system.
of trace metals in surface waters is predominately Metals may enter the aquatic organisms via three
controlled by the water pH, the type and main pathways (Branza et al., 2005a, b; Connell et al.,
concentration of ligands on which the metal could 1984):
adsorb, and the oxidation state of the mineral 1. Free metal ions that are absorbed through
components and the redox environment of the system respiratory surface (e.g., gills) are readily
(Connell et al., 1984). diffused into the blood stream.
Living organisms require trace amounts of 2. Free metal ions that are adsorbed onto body
some heavy metals, including cobalt, copper, iron, surfaces are passively diffused into the blood
manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, strontium, and stream.
zinc. Excessive levels of essential metals, however, 3. Metals that are sorbed onto food and
can be detrimental to the organism. Non-essential particulates may be ingested, as well as free
heavy metals of particular concern to surface water ions ingested with water.
systems are cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, In order to be able to assess the water-quality
arsenic, and antimony (Kennish, 1992). impacts of sediments on receiving water bodies,
Heavy metals at or near the soil surface can predictions on variations of metal concentration and
be transformed to overland flow in solution form by contaminant movement are needed under specific
the mixing of rainwater with soil solution, dissolution hydrodynamic conditions.
of the heavy metal partly present in solid form, There are few published modeling studies on
desorption of an adsorbed or absorbed chemical from sediment and metal transport in rivers that simulate
the soil and residues in place, and desorption of the storm events and use comprehensive data sets for
chemical from eroded sediment. model input and model calibration. The overall goal
The behavior of metals in natural waters is to obtain a tool for fast evaluation of metal
depends on substrate sediment composition, transport and accumulation in water and sediments
suspended sediment composition, and water through simulation, which requires a minimal number
chemistry. Sediments composed of fine sand and silt of measured physical and chemical parameters
will generally have higher levels of adsorbed metal (Gavrilescu et al., 2005; Snape et al., 2005).
than quartz, feldspar, and detrital carbonate-rich This approach may be useful during storm
sediment. Metals also have a high affinity for humic events or dredging activities. These heavy-metal
acids, organo-clays, and oxides coated with organic contaminants are often absorbed to clay particles in
matter (Connell et al., 1984). fine, cohesive sediments where they tend to
In this paper, the simulation of heavy metals accumulate without degradation. Heavy metals tend
transport in water column and sediments is carried out to be associated with clay particles comprising

154
Modelling and simulation of heavy metals transport

cohesive sediments because of the high specific CD2 = fD2 CT2 (4)
surface area and reactivity of these particles. Once
mobilized in the water column, the adsorbent CA1 = (1-fD1) CT1 (5)
contaminants are exposed to a different chemical
environmental and increased interaction times that CA2 = (1-fD2) CT2 (6)
may result in desorption and/or dissolution with an
accompanying change in water quality. The dissolved fraction, fD, is given by the
distribution coefficient, KD (Eqs. 7-9):
3.2. Model presentation
1
The model was elaborated based on the fD = (7)
1 + mK D
balance and complementary equations and can be
applied to analyze the accumulation of heavy metals
in lake waters and sediments, under dynamic 1
f D1 = (8)
conditions in connection with simulation tools. 1 + mK D1

3.2.1. System description 1


The system is based on the assumption and f D2 = (9)
1 + mK D 2
models of van de Vrie (1987), predicting the
concentration of zinc, cadmium and lead in the
sediment and water of a lake in the southwest of the where m is the total concentration of the suspended
Netherlands, validated and analyzed by Snape et al. particles.
(1995). The rate of sedimentation of suspended
particles settling with velocity vs is given by Eq (10).

Js = vs A CA = vs A (l – fD) CT (10)

The particles in the top layer of sediment


also settle until they reach a certain depth at which
they are no longer influenced by the water column.
Due to differences in the dissolved metal
concentration in the water column and in the top layer
of the sediment, a diffusion exchange between the
two compartments will occur, proportional to the
difference in concentration and the area of the
sediment-water interface. This exchange is defined by
the proportionality constant KL (Eq. 11).

Jd = KL A (CD1 – CD2) (11)


Fig. 1. Model regions for heavy metal transport in a lake
(Snape et al., 2005) Water flows into the water column at a
volumetric flow rate Q, with a total metal
3.2.2. Mathematical model concentration Cin. It is assumed that the water flows
The lake is divided into vertical elements, through the water column element at the same rate
each of them consisting of a column of water and the and at the same concentration as in the whole water
top layer of sediment. The results of the simulation column. Mass balances on the water column and top
can be extended to many elements. sediment layer are expressed by Eqs. 6, 7.
It is assumed that the metals are distributed
homogeneously in the water column as well as in the dCT1
V1 = Q(Cin − CT ) − J s1 − J D (6)
upper sediment layer. In both compartments, the dt
metals with concentration CT can exist in either a
dissolved form (with concentration CD) or adsorbed to dCT2
solid particles (with concentration CA), both in the V2 = J s1 + J D − J s 2 (7)
water column (index 1) or in the top layer of dt
sediment (index 2) (Eqs. 1-6).
where V1 and V2 are the volumes of the water column
CT = CD + CA (1) and top layer of sediment, respectively, and H1 and H2
are the corresponding heights.
CD = fD CT (2)
After substitutions and rearrangement, it will result
CD1 = fD1 CT1 (3) Eqs. 8, 9.

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Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161

flow rate (Table 2). The individual adsorption


dCT1
dt
(
= Q Cin − CT1 − ) vs
H1
(
(1 − f D )CT − K1 C D1 − C D2
H1
) (8)
characteristics of different metals were not taken into
consideration, but instead were treated as a group
with the average values of the distribution coefficient
dCT2
dt
=
v s1
H2
(1 − f D )CT
t 1
+
KL
H2
( ) vs
(
C D1 − C D2 − 2 1 − f D2 CT2
H2
) (9)
and diffusion exchange coefficient. Fig. 2 shows the
dynamic profiles of metal concentration at Q =
3.3. Simulation 1m3day-1, considering the lowest inflow metal
concentration, Cin = 0.001 g/m3.
3.3.1. Simulation conditions Metals accumulate continuously in the water
The mass balance for heavy metals in the column for 120 days, when a maximum of
lake is connected to equations that describe concentration CT1 = 6.10-4 g/m3 is reached. After that,
contaminant transport, intermedia exchange, phase the concentration remains almost constant, even when
distribution, in both water column and sediments. the influent water flow rate drops to 50% of its initial
In order to simulate the behavior of the value (Fig.2a, curve CT1). Also, the concentration of
system, the model is solved using the Matlab software the dissolved metals in the water column is almost a
and considering the initial conditions. Data from half of the overall concentration of heavy metals (Fig.
Table 1 are used to simulate the behavior of the 1a, curve CD1). Analyzing the dissolved and/or
contaminated lake water and sediments, analyzing the adsorbed heavy metal concentrations in the water
dynamic profiles of heavy metal concentrations at column and sediment (Fig.1b), it is obvious that they
different values of influent flow rate Q and the inflow accumulate in 120 days, after which they slowly
heavy metal concentration. diminish or remain constant. In the water column (1)
the dissolved heavy metal concentration is less than
Table 1. Initial conditions for mathematical model solving the adsorbed metal concentration on solids dispersed
in liquid phase (Fig. 1b, curves D1, A1). Therefore,
Characteristic Value metals are more likely to be adsorbed on solid
Height of water column, H1 (m) 10 surfaces, than to be dissolved in water. In the
Depth of top sediment layer, H2 (m) 0.39 sediment layer, the concentration of dissolved metals
Volume of water column, V1 (m3) 100 is almost the same as that of adsorbed metals (curves
Volume of sediment layer, V2 (m3) 3.9 A2 and D2) and tends to a constant value of 3.5 10-4
Distribution coefficient of metal in 114 g/m3.
water, KD1 (g-1) If the influent water has a higher
Distribution coefficient of metal in 18.8 concentration of heavy metals (Cin =0.01 g/m3), then
sediment, KD2 (g-1) metals will accumulate continuously in the lake,
Diffusion exchange coefficient, KL (m 1
beyond 7x10-3 g/m3 even if inflow water flow rate
day-1)
diminishes after 120 days at 50% of the initial value
Sedimentation velocity in water, vs1 (m 0.1
day-1) (Fig. 2c). This is a different behavior when compared
Settling velocity, vs2 (m day-1) 0.01 to a value of Cin = 0.001 g/m3 (Fig. 2a).
Particle concentration, m (g m-3) 0.01 The dissolved and adsorbed concentrations
of the metals in the water column and the sediment
Also, values of the parameters that were layer will increase continuously for as long as 150
modified during simulation - influent water flow rate, days with a significant slope (Fig. 2d). Afterwards,
Q, and inflow metal concentration - are presented in the concentration of the dissolved metals in the water
Table 2. The simulation was performed for a duration column remains almost constant (D1~ 0.5x10-3 g/m3),
of 250 days. while the other concentration increases, so that metals
accumulate (curves A1, A2, D2 – Fig. 2d), over 3.5x10-
3
Table 2. Values of model variables Q and Cin g/m3.
A similar behavior can be observed if the
Variable Values inflow metal concentration becomes Cin = 0.1 g/m3
Influent water flow rate, Q 1 (Figs. 2, e, f). The maximum value of the heavy metal
(m3 day-1) 10 concentration in the water column tends to 0.07 g/m3,
100 (Fig. 2e, curve CT1) while the dissolved metal
Inflow metal concentration, 0.001 concentration is around 0.03 g/m3, after 250 days,
Cin (g m-3) 0.01 with a slight tendency to increase (Fig. 1e, curve
0.1 CD1).
The highest concentration of metals can be
3.3.2. Influence of inflow concentration of pollutants found in the adsorbed form and in sediment (Fig. 2f,
on dynamic behavior of metals in water column and curves A1, A2, D2), reaching 0.035 g/m3 after 250
sediments days, while the concentration of metal dissolved in
The simulation of metal accumulation in water remains at 0.005 g/m3 (Fig. 2f, curve D1).
water column and sediments was first performed with
different inflow metal concentrations ranging from
0.001 to 0.1 g/m3 at a certain value of influent water

156
Modelling and simulation of heavy metals transport

3.3.3. Influence of influent water flow rate on reach a total maximum metal concentration will only
dynamic behavior of metals in water column and be 30% from the maximum found at Q = 1 m3/day
sediment (Fig. 3a). Therefore, the hydrodynamic aspects play
An increase of the influent water flow rate to an important role in metal transport in the water
Q = 10 m3/day will change the behavior of the column. After this duration (between 30-40 days),
system, when the three levels of inflow heavy metal any decrease in inflow rate will result in constant CT1
concentrations are considered. For an inflow metal and CD1 values.
concentration Cin = 0.001 g/m3, the time necessary to

a) b)

c) d)

e) f)

Fig. 2. The dynamic profiles of heavy metal concentrations in sediments and water column for an influent water flow rate,
Q=1 m3 day-1

A similar situation can be observed for the column (D1 and A1) and sediment layer (A2, D2),
dissolved and adsorbed metal concentrations in water respectively (Fig. 3b).

157
Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161

As in the previous simulation (Q = 1 most significant part of the metals. It is important to


m3/day), the sediment and solid particles retain the note that the steady state appears after 40 days.

a) b)

c) d)

e) f)

Fig. 3. The dynamic profiles of heavy metal concentrations in sediments and water column
for an influent water flow rate, Q=10 m3 day-1

For a higher value of metal concentration, x10-3 g/m3 and CD1 = 4.5x10-3 g/m3, which are greater
Cin = 0.01 g/m3, the system behaves as previously, than those for Cin = 10-3 g/m3 (Fig. 3c). The same
excepting for the steady – state values of CT1 ≈ 9.5 profile of the concentrations of metals was found for

158
Modelling and simulation of heavy metals transport

adsorbed metal concentrations, in sediment and of water inflow rate at Q = 100 m3/day (for example,
dispersed solid particles, A2, D2, D1 (Fig. 3d). If the during rainfall) leads to steady – state almost
metal inflow concentration becomes higher, Cin = 10-1 instantaneously, with the maximum values of
g/m3, the maximum value of adsorbed and dissolved concentration depending on the inflow concentration
metal concentration increases, compared to that values (Fig. 4, a-f).
observed for Cin = 10-2 g/m3 (Figs. 3e, f). The increase

b)
a)

d)
c)

e) f)

Fig.4. The dynamic profiles of heavy metal concentrations in sediments and water column
for an influent water flow rate, Q=100 m3 day-1

159
Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161

4. Conclusions The simulation demonstrated that the system is


dynamic, and reach the steady-state depending on
The simulation of the heavy metals transport in volumetric flow rates of water into water and, in a
water column and sediments was carried out for a less extent, on the concentration of the metal in the
lake with inflow and outflow water streams. The lake inflow water stream.
was considered as consisting of a number of vertical The concentration of the dissolved metal as well
elements that comprise water columns and top layer as that of the adsorbed to solid particles depends
sediments, where the metal is distributed mainly on the concentration of the metal in the inflow
homogeneously. The simulation was performed for water stream.
only one such element, for the metal existing in either
a dissolved form or as adsorbed to solid particles.

Nomenclature
A Area of water-sediment interface in each element m2
C Concentration of metal g m-3
fD Fraction of metal that is dissolved -
H1 Height of water column m
H2 Depth of top sediment layer m
J Fluxes of metals g m-2 day-1
KD Distribution coefficient g-1
KL Diffusion exchange coefficient m day-1
m Concentration of suspended particles g m-3
Q Volumetric flow rate of water into water column m3 day-1
T Time days
V1 Volume of water column m3
V2 Volume of top sediment layer m3
vs Sedimentation velocity m day-1

Subscripts
1 Water column
2 Top sediment layer
A Adsorbed
D Dissolved
s Settling
T Total

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