Pollutant Fate and Transport in Environmental Multimedia

Frank M. Dunnivant, Elliot Anders

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781119414629
• eBook ISBN: 9781119414650
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Organic Chemistry

Bridges the gaps between regulatory, engineering, and science disciplines in order to comprehensively cover pollutant fate and transport in environmental multimedia 

This book presents and integrates all aspects of fate and transport: chemistry, modeling, various forms of assessment, and the environmental legal framework. It approaches each of these topics initially from a conceptual perspective before explaining the concepts in terms of the math necessary to model the problem so that students of all levels can learn and eventually contribute to the advancement of water quality science.

The first third of Pollutant Fate and Transport in Environmental Multimedia is dedicated to the relevant aspects of chemistry behind the fate and transport processes. It provides relatively simple examples and problems to teach these principles. The second third of the book is based on the conceptual derivation and the use of common models to evaluate the importance of model parameters and sensitivity analysis; complex equation derivations are given in appendices. Computer exercises and available simulators teach and enforce the concepts and logic behind fate and transport modeling. The last third of the book is focused on various aspects of assessment (toxicology, risk, benefit-cost, and life cycle) and environmental legislation in the US, Europe, and China. The book closes with a set of laboratory exercises that illustrate chemical and fate and transport concepts covered in the text, with example results for most experiments.

• Features more introductory material on past environmental disasters and the continued need to study environmental chemistry and engineering
• Covers chemical toxicology with various forms of assessment, United States, European, and Chinese regulations, and advanced fate and transport modeling and regulatory implications
• Provides a conceptual and relatively simple mathematical approach to fate and transport modeling, yet complex derivations of most equations are given in appendices
• Integrates the use of numerous software packages (pC-pH, EnviroLab Simulators, Water, Wastewater, and Global Issues), and Fate©2016
• Contains numerous easy-to-understand examples and problems along with answers for most end-of-the-chapter problems, and simulators for answers to fate and transport questions
• Includes numerous companion laboratory experiments with EnviroLab

Requiring just a basic knowledge of algebra and first-year college chemistry to start, Pollutant Fate and Transport in Environmental Multimedia is an excellent textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate faculty and students studying environmental engineering and science.

Part I
Introduction

Through the history of literature, the guy who poisons the well has been the worst of all villains

Author unknown

1
Sources and Types of Pollutants, Why We Need Modeling, and the Need to Study Historical Pollution Events

1.1 Introduction

A good starting point for our discussions and this book is to ask, “Is there a common sequence of events leading to the identification, characterization, and remediation of an old hazardous waste site?” There are a variety of answers to this question, but a general order of events often occurs as follows:

• First, a pollutant is observed to be present or the potential of a pollutant release from a proposed industrial site is identified. This can result from routine monitoring of a pollutant's concentration at the site, through the known manufacturing of the pollutant at the site, through research identifying the cause of an illness or cancer cluster in the community of a site, or during an environmental planning assessment (also called an environmental impact statement, EIS).
• Second, the source of the pollutant is identified at the hazardous waste site or a theoretical release can be simulated.
• Third, a remedial investigation is conducted to determine the mass/volume of pollutant released and responsible parties.
• Fourth, pollutant fate and transport modeling is completed to determine what pollutant concentrations will result at specific points at the site over time (referred to as receptor sites where humans are the receptors of the pollutants).
• Fifth, the results of the pollutant fate and transport modeling are used in risk assessment calculations to estimate health or environmental/ecological risks. A common use of modeling in the twentieth and twenty‐first centuries is in air and water quality environmental management and related to compliance with ambient air or water quality standards (EPA 2017a). Essentially, the model purports the allowable discharge or emission rates to maintain acceptable air or water quality.
• And finally, a decision or plan of remediation is negotiated between the local citizens, local and federal governments, and the party responsible for the hazardous waste site.

Today, new pollutant releases from regulated industries take on a slightly different approach. In the Global North, previously referred to as developed countries, most industries act responsibly, but all human‐designed, engineered, and operated systems are prone to failures and accidents. In general, a slightly modified sequence of events occur: a spill or accident occurs, emergency response systems respond, and remediation (when possible) occurs. Responsible parties usually pay the incurred expenses, and appropriate fines if regulations have been broken.

These steps also outline our approach in this book. In this chapter, we will look at several historical hazardous waste release events, as well as recent ones, and describe types and sources of potential pollutant releases. In Chapters 2 and 3, we will look in‐depth at the chemistry associated with fate and transport phenomena in environmental media. In Chapters 4-10, we will develop and learn to use pulse and step fate and transport models for rivers, lakes, groundwater, and the atmosphere. In Chapter 11, we will introduce basic chemical toxicology and use pollutant concentrations from the fate and transport modeling to perform basic risk assessment calculations to estimate risk to human health, look briefly at cost–benefit analysis, and the relatively new field of environmental life cycle assessment. In Chapters 12-14, we will look at the development and evolution of environmental laws in the United States and Europe. In Chapter 15, we will look at the history of several “world class” pollutants that are present at undesirable concentrations across the globe. In the last Chapter 16, laboratory experiments that support key chemical and modeling concepts will be presented, with actual student results.

1.2 Need for Modeling of Pollutants in Environmental Media

Many pollutants have been found to be ubiquitous in nature; that is every environmental compartment that has been tested has shown some level of contamination. Note that presently ambient monitoring of water bodies and the atmosphere are both part of the missions of both state and federal government agencies. Historically, two of the chemicals that fall into this category and receiving much public attention are PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and DDT (1,1′‐(2,2,2‐trichloroethylidene)bis[4‐chloro‐benzene]). These compounds accumulate especially well in the environment due to thei...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Acronyms
• Glossary
• About the Companion Website
• To the Instructor
• To the Student
• To the Environmental Professional
• How to Use the Book with Fate® and Associated Software
• Instructor/Student Resources
• Part I: Introduction
• Part II: Chemistry of Fate and Transport Modeling
• Part III: Modeling
• Part IV: Toxicology and Risk Assessment
• Part V: Environmental Legislation in the United States
• Part VI: World Class Pollutants
• Part VII: Supporting Laboratory Experiments
• Index
• End User License Agreement