Modeling the nitrobenzene spill in the Songhua River

Abstract

The Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP 7.2) developed by the USEPA was employed to simulate the transportation and transformation of nitrobenzene, which was spilled due to an industrial accident, in the Songhua River, northeast of China. The model was first calibrated for the concentration of nitrobenzene in the water column with field data, and then applied to systematically expound the transportation and transformation of nitrobenzene in both water and sediment, and predict its distribution and fate in the multimedia of the River. The concentration profiles of the nitrobenzene in water column simulated the field data satisfactorily. Calculated results indicate that the spilled nitrobenzene was mostly either volatilized or biodegraded. Photolysis and sorption of nitrobenzene by suspended particles as well as benthic sediment were insignificant. Overall, results of this study suggested that the residual nitrobenzene would not seriously contaminate the River. Evaluation on the impacts of the spill was used to support the decision on risk assessment and watershed environmental management for the local government.