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ERIC Number: ED557014
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 155
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3039-6016-1
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Models of Fate and Transport of Pollutants in Surface Waters
Okome, Gloria Eloho
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas Southern University
There is the need to answer very crucial questions of "what happens to pollutants in surface waters?" This question must be answered to determine the factors controlling fate and transport of chemicals and their evolutionary state in surface waters. Monitoring and experimental methods are used in establishing the environmental states. These measurements are used with the known scientific principles to identify processes and to estimate the future environmental conditions. Conceptual and computational models are needed to analyze environmental processes by applying the knowledge gained from experimentation and theory. Usually, a computational framework includes the mathematics and the physics of the phenomenon, and the measured characteristics to model pollutants interactions and transport in surface water. However, under certain conditions, the complexity of the situation in the actual environment precludes the utilization of these techniques. Pollutants in several forms: Nitrogen (Nitrate, Nitrite, Kjeldhal Nitrogen and Ammonia), Phosphorus (orthophosphate and total phosphorus), bacteria (E-coli and Fecal coliform), Salts (Chloride and Sulfate) are chosen to follow for this research. The objective of this research is to model the fate and transport of these pollutants in non-ideal conditions of surface water measurements and to develop computational methods to forecast their fate and transport. In an environment of extreme drought such as in the Brazos River basin, where small streams flow intermittently, there is added complexity due to the absence of regularly sampled data. The usual modeling techniques are no longer applicable because of sparse measurements in space and time. Still, there is a need to estimate the conditions of the environment from the information that is present. Alternative methods for this estimation must be devised and applied to this situation, which is the task of this dissertation. This research devices a forecasting technique that is based upon sparse data. The method uses the equations of functions that fit the time series data for pollutants at each water quality monitoring stations to interpolate and extrapolate the data and to make estimates of present and future pollution levels. This method was applied to data obtained from the Leon River watershed (Indian creek) and Navasota River. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A