Investigating the role of re-suspended fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) for bathing water quality models | |
| Author | Bell, Michael Allen |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.UWEM-19-03 |
| Subject(s) | Bacterial pollution of water Water quality |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Urban Water Engineering and Management Jointly offered by Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand and UNESCO - IHE, Delft, the Netherlands |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Bathing water quality has increasingly gained more attention as exposure to contaminated coastal waters pose health risks for recreational activities. In Helsingborg, Sweden, measured concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) have repeatedly exceeded recommended values, and the current bathing water quality model was unable to forecast the elevated concentrations. This study considers marine sediments to prolong survival, enable accumulation and enhance transportation of FIB which adversely influences bathing water quality. By integrating an ecological model, MIKE ECO Lab, with a 3D hydrodynamic model, a 2D wave model and a 3D mud transport model, the re-suspension of FIB is simulated for the 2017 and 2018 bathing water seasons. Utilizing a linear isotherm-based partitioning coefficient created a relationship between sediments and bacteria and a dynamic decay rate incorporated effects of light intensity, salinity, temperature and presence of suspended solids. Performance of the model was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively with visual and statistical analyses. Concentrations of adsorbed FIB in the sediment was found to be the more significant than the partitioning coefficient. For each year, the results correlated positively with the measured data and the statistics provided evidence that sediment-bacteria interactions dramatically improve model accuracy when predicting bathing water quality. |
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) + School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shipin, Oleg V.;Sanchez, Arlex; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Xue, Wenchao;Shrestha, Sangam;Kaas, Hanne; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology - UNESCO-IHE, 2019 |