Modeling of the transport and diffusion phenomena for petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons from spilled crude oil in a stagnant mangrove water body

Abstract

In water, oil spill constitutes serious environmental concern. When impacted water is flowing, it can be self-cleansed by waves. Turbulent water bodies have attracted huge research attention with many models available. However, it becomes different with non-turbulent and stagnant water as in the case with mangrove swamps. This paper reports the development of mathematical models for monitoring transport and diffusion phenomena of aromatics through water column using equations of transport and mass transfer. The models were validated using results from a simulated stagnant water polluted with crude oil. From the result, aromatics transported through water at 0.25 m and 1 m for month 1 is 12.988 µg/l and 0.081 µg/l for experiment and 9.215 µg/l, and 0.0781 µg/l for model, respectively. While month 5, was 48.982 µg/l and 1.890 µg/l for experiment and 39.850 µg/l and 1.650 µg/l for model, respectively. These and others reported show that the models can adequately predict the transport of aromatics through such water body.