Overview
With rapid economic growth, heavy metal pollution has become a key issue in Taihu Lake. Although pollution levels and distributions have previously been described, an effective model for the transport of heavy metals between the water column and sediment bed had not been available. Because heavy metals in the water column can be related to the resuspension of bed sediment, this study developed a coupled model linking hydrodynamics, sediment, and heavy metals based on the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC), and applied it to Taihu Lake.
Model Setup
For calibration and validation, two series of field sampling data collected across Taihu Lake during April and July of 2009 were used. The coupled model related hydrodynamic conditions to sediment resuspension and the resulting heavy metal transport between the water column and the lake bed.
Key Findings
The hydrodynamic simulations of the coupled model agreed reasonably well with observations, and the sediment and heavy metal components showed similar variation trends throughout the simulation. The results indicate that the model can simulate sediment and heavy metal transport processes in Taihu Lake, providing an effective tool for water quality management at small time scales.