Modeling Contaminant Migration through Multimedia Systems - 575.629

This course addresses contamination in several physical media as chemical species that migrate through an integrated environment. Contaminants can be released into air, subsurface or surface water from which chemicals can migrate between these media. Predicting the movement as well as human health and ecological impacts of contaminants between the air, groundwater and surface water media requires consideration of transport and fate processes that occur separately within each medium as well as linkages of contaminant interactions between media. The course presents the basic principles and computational methods for simulation of contaminant transport and kinetic fate processes in air, groundwater and surface water. Course assessments include interactive discussion topics, assignments and a course project. Screening level models will be used to evaluate transport and fate of contaminants in the air, groundwater and surface water media for a course project based on a hypothetical yet realistic case study of an industrial facility in the Washington DC region. Students will be responsible for data setup and coding of equations to create Excel spreadsheet models for contaminant fate and transport in the air and surface water and will be responsible for data setup for application of a public-domain Excel spreadsheet model for subsurface contaminant fate and transport in groundwater. Although there are no formal prerequisites for this course, the instructors strongly recommend that the student have a college-level understanding of calculus and fluid mechanics and have good quantitative skills with engineering calculations. Proficiency with the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program is critical for data setup, coding of equations for model calculations and creating graphic plots of data and multi-media model results.