Analysis of numerical simulations and influencing factors of seasonal manganese pollution in reservoirs

Seasonal manganese pollution has become an increasingly pressing water quality issue for water supply reservoirs in recent years. Manganese is a redox-sensitive element and is released from sediment under anoxic conditions near the sediment–water interface during summer and autumn, when water temperature stratification occurs. The reservoir water temperature and water dynamic conditions directly influence the formation of manganese pollution. Numerical models are useful tools to quantitatively evaluate manganese pollution and its influencing factors. This paper presents a reservoir manganese pollution model by adding a manganese biogeochemical module to a water quality model—CE-QUAL-W2. The model is applied to the Wangjuan reservoir (Qingdao, China), which experiences manganese pollution during summer and autumn. Field data are used to verify the model, and the results show that the model can reproduce the main features of the thermal stratification and manganese distribution. The model is used to evaluate the manganese pollution process and its four influencing factors, including air temperature, water level, wind speed, and wind directions, through different simulation scenarios. The results show that all four factors can influence manganese pollution. High air temperature, high water level, and low wind speed aggravate manganese pollution, while low air temperature, low water level, and high wind speed reduce manganese pollution. Wind that travels in the opposite direction of the flow aggravates manganese pollution, while wind in the same direction as the flow reduces manganese pollution. This study provides useful information to improve our understanding of seasonal manganese pollution in reservoirs, which is important for reservoir manganese pollution warnings and control.