MODELING THE FATE AND TRANSPORT OF TOXIC CONTAMINANTS IN RESERVOIR OVERFLOW AND INTERFLOW

A two-dimensional model for toxic contaminants was developed and incorporated into a laterally integrated hydrodynamics and transport model to investigate the effect of reservoir flow regime on contamination level in a reservoir after a toxic spill. The model describes the physical, chemical, and biological processes and predicts unsteady vertical and longitudinal distributions of a toxic chemical. Simulation results suggested that the persistence of a contaminant was significantly influenced by different flow regimes. It was found that the toxicant plume was more persistent in an interflow than in an overflow which moved more slowly and experienced greater volatilization and dissipation. This analysis can assist in spill control and reservoir management.