Numerical Simulation of Sediment Related Processes in Water Quality Model

Sediment is a major nonpoint-source pollutant, and the exchange of materials between water and sediment is an important component of the lake eutrophication process. Suspended sediment increases water surface reflectivity and light attenuation in the water column. Nutrients can be absorbed to sediment particles and desorb from sediment to the water. In addition, nutrients can also be released from bed sediment. In this study, a water quality model, CCHE3D_WQ, was applied to simulate the concentrations of phytoplankton and nutrients in a shallow, natural lake with special emphasis on sediment-related processes. A formula was generated from field measurements to calculate the light attenuation coefficient using the concentration of chlorophyll and suspended sediment. The concentrations of adsorbed and dissolved nutrients due to adsorption-desorption were calculated using two formulas derived based on the Langmuir Equation. The release rates of nutrients from the lake bed were calculated by considering the effects of the concentration gradient across the water-sediment interface, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and flow conditions. Model algorithms describing the adsorption and desorption of nutrients from sediment particles as well as their release from bed sediment were tested using laboratory experimental data. Model simulation results show that there are strong interactions between sediment-related processes and nutrient concentrations.