Environmental Modeling

Chapter 7:
Dissolved Oxygen Sag Curves in Streams

Copyright 2006 by DBS

 Quote
[Mathematics] The handmaiden of the Sciences
-Eric Temple Bell
 Concepts
Introduction
Input sources
Mathematical Model
Sensitivity analysis
Limitations
 Case Study: Any Stream, Anywhere

Every stream has inputs of

organic waste
Spreads disease
Consumes DO on
decomposition

Ancient communities built

near flowing water

e.g. NY City, London,

W. Europe
 Meadows et al., 2004

Case Study: Any Stream, Anywhere

Chemical process:
MOs consume DO

Physical process:
Re-aeration by
atmosphere

Sewage treatment begins

The Problem: D.O. < BOD
 Introduction
Modeling the effects of release of oxidizable organic matter into a
flowing body of water
DO = chemical measurement of dissolved oxygen (mg L-1)
BOD = total DO needed to oxidize organic matter in a water sample
= change from initial DO at saturation to amount after 5 days

BOD

time
 Wipple and Wipple (1911)

Introduction
Standard of living ~ adequate water and
wastewater treatment

Human Risks
Challenge of preventing rapid spead of disease
e.g. typhoid fever (bacteria), hepatitis (viruses),
cryptosporidosis (protozoa)
Removed by sand filtration and
chlorination/ozonation

Aquatic Risks
Aerobic organisms depend on DO
8-12 mg L-1
Affected by temperature and salt

Inc. salt dec. DO

 The Streeter-Phelps Equation
Organic matter is oxidized, stream re-aerates

without trmt:

with trmt:
 End

Review
 Basic Input Sources

Parameters for S-P equation:

Wastewater: Flow rate, temperature, DO, BOD
BOD measured in lab DO measured after several days (flat portion
of curve)
 The following material and model is
covered in:

CHEM3500/3550
 Basic Input Sources
Sewage Treatment Plants

Remove turbidity, oxidizable organic matter, and pathogens

Turbidity settling tanks and filters
Organic matter trickling filters, activated sludge
Pathogens filtration, chloination, ozonation

ftp://ftp.wiley.com/public/sci_tech_med/pollutant_fate/
 Basic Input Sources
Sewage Treatment Plants

Prelininary - screening of large materials

Primary - sedimentation - settling tanks

Secondary - biological aeration trickling

filters, activated sludge - metabolizes and
flocculates dissolved organics

Tertiary e.g. P removal

http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Tw-Z/Wastewater-Treatment-and-Management.html
 Basic Input Sources

Wastewater Treatment Plant

Model
 Movie

1. Wastewater Treatment and Discharge (2000)

2. Wastewater Generation and Collection (2000)
3. Our Urban Environment: Water Quality (2000)
 End

Review
 Mathematical Model

Take a river: What parameters and processes would be important in

developing a model for the oxidation of organic waste?

Amount DO consumed our model river: draw in parameters

Re-aeration by atmosphere
Consumption DO by MOs

Ultimate BODLof mix

Stream DO deficit
 The Streeter-Phelps Equation

D = kBODL [exp(-k(x/v) exp(-k2(x/v))] + D0exp(-k2(x/v))

k2 k

Consumption by MOs Re-aeration by atmos. O2

where: D = DO concentration deficit (value below saturation) (mg L-1),

k2= the re-aeration constant (in d-1),
BODL= the ultimate BOD (in mg L-1),
k= the BOD rate constant for oxidation (d-1),
x = distance downstream from the point source (km),
v = average water velocity (km d-1)
Do= initial oxygen deficit of mixed stream and wastewater (mg L-1)

D is not the remaining DO content but the amount of original DO

consumedmust be subtracted from original DO without BOD waste
 The Streeter-Phelps Equation

DO at a given distance below the input:

 The Streeter-Phelps Equation

k2 = first-order rate constant for re-aeration

Eact measurements are difficult, get from tables:
 The Streeter-Phelps Equation

BODL = ultimate BOD or maximum O2 required to oxize the

waste sample
Determined from 5 day BOD test or using equation:

BODL = BOD5
1 exp(-k(x/v))

Where k is obtained from a 20 day BOD experiment

D0 = DO level in the stream upstream from input - initial DO of
stream-waste mixture
Algae, fungi, protozoa, worms, Gray/black, H2S, CH4, NH3
The Streeter-Phelps Equation
larger planst die productions,

Zone of Clean Water (Zone 1) Minimum D = critical

Zone of Degradation (Zone 2) dissolved oxygen = Dc
Zone of Active Decomposition (Zone 3)
Zone of Recovery (Zone 4)
Zone of Cleaner Water (Zone 5)
 The Streeter-Phelps Equation

tc = 1 ln k2 1 D0(k2-k)
k2 k k k BODL

and xc = vtc

Critical DO concentration, Dc:

Dc = k BODL exp(-k(xc/v))
k 2
 Problem

Example Problem: A city discharges 25 million gallons per day of domestic

sewage into a stream whose typical rate of flow is 250 cubic feet per second.
The velocity of the stream is appoximately 3 miles per hour. The temperature
of the sewage is 21 C, while that of the stream is 15 C. The 20 C BOD5 of
the sewage is 180 mg/L, while that of the stream is 1.0 mg/L. The sewage
contains no DO, but the stream is 90% saturated upstream of the discharge.
At 20 C, k is estimated to be 0.34 per day while k2 is 0.65 per day.

1. Determine Dc and its location.

2. Estimate the 20 C BOD5 of a sample taken at xc.
3. Plot the curve.
1. Determine DO in stream before discharge (=upstream DO):
Saturation conc. at 15 C = 10.2 mg/L
Upstream is 90% saturated = 10.2 mg/L x 0.90 = 9.2 mg/L

2. Determine mixture, T, DO, and BOD using mass balance:

Flow rate stream: = 250 ft3/s = 612 x 106 L/d

Flow rate sewage: 25 x 106 gallons/d = 94.8 x 106 L/d

Temperature of mixture:
T = stream input + sewage input output effect
0 = (stream flow)(stream temp.) + (sewage flow)( sewage temp) (mix flow)(mix temp)
0 = (612 x 106 L/d)(15 C) + (94.8 x 106 L/d)(20 C) (612 x 106 L/d + 94.8 x 106 L/d)Tmix

Tmix = (612 x 106 L/d)(15 C) + (94.8 x 106 L/d)(20 C) = 15.7 C

(612 x 106 L/d +94.8 x 106 L/d)

DO in mixture
Net change in DO = Stream input + Sewage output Output
0 = (stream flow)(stream DO) + (sewage flow)(sewage DO) (mix flow)(mix DO)
0 = (612 x 106 L/d)(9.2 mg/L) + (94.8 x 106 L/d)(0.0) - (612 x 106 L/d + 94.8 x 106 L/d)(Domix)

DOmix = (612 x 106 L/d)(9.2 mg/L) + (94.8 x 106 L/d)(0.0 mg/L)

(612 x 106 L/d + 94.8 x 106 L/d)

= 7.97 mg/L
BOD5 of mixture:
Net change in BOD5 = BOD5 = Stream input + Sewage output Output
0 = (stream flow)(stream BOD5) + (sewage flow)(sewage BOD5) (mix flow)(mix BOD5)
0 = (612 x 106 L/d)(1.0 mg/L) + (94.8 x 106 L/d)(80 mg/L) - (612 x 106 L/d + 94.8 x 106 L/d)
(BOD5)

BOD5mixture = (612 x 106 L/d)(1.0 mg/L) + (94.8 x 106 L/d)(80 mg/L) = 25.0 mg/L
(612 x 106 L/d + 94.8 x 106 L/d)

BODL of mixture (at 20 C)

BODL = BOD5 = 25.0 mg/L = 30.6 mg/L

1 exp(-k(x/v) 1 exp(-0.34/d)(5 d)
3. Correct rate constants to 15.7 C

k = 0.34(1.135)15.7-20 = 0.197 d-1

k2 = 0.65(1.024)15.7-20 = 0.587 d-1

4. Determine tc and xc:

D0 = (initial stream O2 - O2 of mixture)

= (9.2 7.97) = 1.23 mg O2 L-1
4. Determine tc and xc:

tc = 1 ln k2 1 D0(k2-k)
k2 k k k BODL

= 2.42 d

xc = vtc = 3 mi/h x 24 h/d x 2.42 d = 174.2 mi = 280 km

5. Determine Dc:
5. Determine Dc:

V = 3 mi/h = 72 mi/d

Dc = k BODL exp(-k(xc/v)
k2

= 0.197 d-1 (30.6 mg/L) exp(-(0.197 d-1)(174.2 mi / 72 mi d-1)))

0.587 d-1
= 6.37 mg L-1

The DO will be depressed 6.37 mg L-1 from saturation.

Minimum DO = 9.2 mg L-1 - 6.37 mg L-1 = 2.83 mg L-1
6. Determine BOD5 at critical point, xc:

BOD5 = BODL exp(-k(x/v))

= (30.6 mg L-1) exp(-0.197 d-1)(174.2 mi)/(72 mi d-1) = 19.0 mg L-1

20 C BOD5 = BOD5 [1 exp(-k)(5)]

= 19.0 mg L-1 [1 exp(-0.34 d-1)(5 d)] = 15.5 mg L-1

Easier method
 Use Fate!!!
Much easier than by hand
 End

Review
Sensitivity Analysis
 Limitations

It uses average re-aeration rates of the stream (problem in alternating

riffle and pool areas)

Sedimentation is not allowed in the basic model, but can be

incorporated with additional experimental data
 Remediation

Problems are: -Eutrophication

-Odors
-Low/no D.O.
-Aquatic death
-Microbes/Pathogens

Source removal! (install treatment plant)

including BOD, NO3-, NH3/NH4+, PO43-
removal, but you still will have organic rich
sediments for some time

Time (flowing aquatic systems can be very resilient)

Notice the difference between the recovery of a biodegradable pollutant

versus nonbiodegradable!
 End

Review
 Further Reading
Journals and Reports
Wipple, G.C. and Wipple, M.C. (1911) Solubility of oxygen in sea
water. Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 3 pp 362.
 Books

Craun, G. (1986) Waterborne Diseases in the United States. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Meadows, D., Randers, J., and Meadows, D. (2004) Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update.
Chelsea Gren Publishing Compnay, White River Junction, VT.
Metcalf and Eddy Inc. (1991) Wastewater Engineering, 3rd Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Sawyer, C.N. and McCarty, P.L. (1978) Chemistry for Environmental Engineering. McGraw-
Hill, New York.
Snoeyink, V.L. and Jenkins, D. (1980) Water Chemistry. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th Ed. (1998) American
Waterworks Association, Washington D.C.
Streeter, H.W. and Phelps, E.B. (1925) A Study of the Pollution and natural Purification of
the Ohio River. United States Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health, Education
and Welfare.
Tchobanoglous, G. and Burton, F.L. (1991) Wastewater Engineering: Treatment, Disposal,
and Reuse. McGraw-Hill, New York.