Simulation of CrIII dispersion in the High Bogotá River Basin using the WASP model

Abstract

The Bogotá River is the major river in Cundinamarca and one of the main water streams in the city of Bogotá. Industries from different economic activities have been established around the river, especially tanneries. The current and traditional tanning process requires a large volume of water to be operative, and during their operation environmental problems take place, due to the pollutant discharged in the river with the process water. Chrome III (Cr III) is a persistent pollutant that represents an important public health issue, since it can transform into Chrome VI, which is very harmful to the environment and people. Water quality simulations were performed for the dispersion of this pollutant in the Bogotá River. The results may help to establish a degree of pollution, monitoring and treatment spots in the river. The main aim of this research is to simulate Cr III in a defined stretch of 8 km along from Villapinzón. WASP model was used for the simulations development to represent the Cr III dispersion at the study conditions. 8 mixing zones were identified in the simulation domain, which constitutes key points for water uptake for treatment and further applications. Additionally, dispersive coefficient, flow, and system geometry were identified as the main factors in the simulation results. Simulation results were validated using IOA as validation parameter between observed and simulated data. A value of 0.853 was obtained.

Keywords

• water quality modeling
• dispersion coefficient
• tanning process
• water pollution