Overview
This study proposed a methodology to simulate ecological damage in a chemical spill situation by coupling AQUATOX, an established ecological assessment model, with EFDC, a hydrodynamic and Lagrangian fluid diffusion model. A case study of the coupled AQUATOX-EFDC model was conducted for toluene leak scenarios in the Jeonju River in South Korea.
Model Setup
A 21-day scenario simulation was conducted for short-term leak scenarios ranging from 30 to 30,000 kg of toluene. The impact of the spill was evaluated by comparing the biomass between a control simulation and a perturbed simulation.
Key Findings
In the scenario where 3,000 kg of toluene was leaked over a day, a substantial change was expected in the range of 0–640 m from the accident site. For a 30,000 kg leak, substantial change was expected within 0–2,300 m of the accident site. Across scenarios, the greatest damage was observed for the fish species group — the top predators. The AQUATOX-EFDC simulation demonstrated a significant ecological impact, and the proposed model can help understand ecological impacts and establish management strategies for the ecological risk of chemical spills.