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Modeling framework for simulating concentrations of solute chemicals, nanoparticles, and solids in surface waters and sediments: WASP8 Advanced Toxicant Module
Citation:
Knightes, Chris, R. Ambrose, B. Avant, Y. Han, Brad Acrey, D. Bouchard, R. Zepp, AND T. Wool. Modeling framework for simulating concentrations of solute chemicals, nanoparticles, and solids in surface waters and sediments: WASP8 Advanced Toxicant Module. ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING AND SOFTWARE. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 111:444-458, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.10.012
Impact/Purpose:
Highlights • The Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) is widely used across the US and world for addressing environmental problems in surface waters. • The architecture of WASP has been updated. The Advanced Toxicant module has been redesigned to allow for an increased number of state variable types, overall number of state variables, and processes. • Nanoparticles have been added as a new state variable, with heteroaggregation kinetics. • An improved light module simulates light intensity and attenuation for 10 specific wavelength bands in the ultraviolet and visible spectrum, along with photoreaction rate constants for each. • An example application simulating two solute chemicals, a nanoparticle, solids, dissolved organic carbon, and light attenuation for a river system is described.
Description:
Toxicant concentrations in surface waters and sediments are of environmental concern due to their potential impacts on ecological and human receptors. Numerical, process-based, mass balance models are one way to understand a system and its governing processes, assist in supporting management decisions, and evaluate different toxicant release scenarios. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) developed and continues to improve the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP), which is one of the more widely used water quality modeling frameworks in the US and the world. WASP is used to develop a water quality model for nutrients or toxicants over a range of complexities and temporal and spatial scales. With the release of WASP version 8 (WASP8), the architecture of the toxicant module has been updated to allow for an increased number of state variables and different types of state variables, including solute chemicals, nanoparticles, and solids. WASP8 incorporates a new structure and interface with advances in the processes available to simulate different types of toxicants in surface waters and sediments. Specifically, there is a new structure for simulating light intensity and photoreactions in stream segments, including the distinction of different wavelengths of light. Nanoparticles are an entirely new class of state variable, with their own processes, specifically heteroaggregation of nanoparticles to solids. Here we present the details specific to simulating solute chemicals, nanoparticles, and solids using WASP8, including a representative example model for the Cape Fear River, North Carolina, US.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Modeling framework for simulating concentrations of solute chemicals, nanoparticles, and solids in surface waters and sediments: WASP8 Advanced Toxicant Module