Water Quality Assessment Model - Oxygen Dynamics Model for Low-Flow Streams
2006
Shelton, Stephen P.
This investigation was undertaken to develop a low-flow stream waste assimilation model to determine the effect of point source discharges at selected Air Force installations. The impetus for this study was the lack of available low-flow stream models and the AF need to evaluate low-flow streams that traverse their installations. From data acquired by this and previous investigations, an analysis of oxygen sinks and sources, unique in their level of significance for low-flow streams, was undertaken. Oxygen sources and sinks considered were carbonaceous BOD, nitrogenous BOD, stream reoxygenation, benthic oxygen demand, and photosynthesis/ respiration. In addition to these, the effects of toxic pollutants upon biological reaction rates and waste assimilative capacity were also explored. Techniques employed in this investigation may be considered as one approach to determine waste assimilation capacity and to simulate variations in the oxygen profile caused by point source wastewater discharges into a low flow stream. The validity and limitations of the overall approach, the ability to extrapolate oxygen profiles, and the ability to transpose conditions to facilitate prediction of future conditions is, at this time, not fully substantiated; however, positive indications have been obtained in model verification that lend credence to the procedures adopted. Future studies should be directed toward validation and improvement of the proposed model and sensitivity analysis to define confidence intervals.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by AVANO
