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Energy
Procedia

Energy Procedia
00 (2011)
Energy Procedia
16000000
(2012) 1009 1013
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

2012 International Conference on Future Energy, Environment, and Materials

Analysis of Pollutants of Sewage of Oceanic Outfall on the

Water Quality
Ying Wanga , Li Xinb *
a,b

Laboratory of Environmental Protection in Water Transport Engineering, Tianjin Research Institute for Water Transport
Engineering, M.O.T;2618#, Xingang road No.2, Tanggu, Tianjin, 300456, China

Abstract
The article analyses and predicts the hydrodynamic feature of study area on the basis of Mike21FM model. And then
it predicts the contributed concentration field of the pollutants. The paper assesses the influence of the petroleum in
discharge of sewage on the marine water quality nearby. Research shows that the results reflected the rules of
transportation and diffusion of pollutants in the tidal water area bitterly.
2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of International Materials Science Society.

2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of [name organizer]

Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Keyword: Water quality ; pollutants; sewage; petroleum;

1. Introduction
For analyzing the affection and ecological environment of ocean provoked by sewage of oceanic
outfall of coastal areas quantitatively, the two-dimension hydrodynamic and mass transport and diffusion
model were applied individually to simulate the current field and concentration field in the area of
Yangtze River Estuary.
Mike21 model has been widely used in researching water environment at home and abroad, and it has
been generally and scientifically acknowledged in world[1-5]. Basing on the model, the retrospective
analysis of pollutants on the Yangtze River Water Quality was researched. This paper uses Mike21FM
model to study marine environment pollution.
The Baosteel Group Corporation locates near the Yangtze river in Baoshan District, Shanghai[6].
Position of the research area and location of sewage of outfalls can be seen below in figure 1.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-15902299630; fax: +86-022-59812389.

E-mail address: ruozhu1106@yahoo.com.cn.

1876-6102 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of International Materials Science Society.
Open access under CC BY -NC-ND license. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2012.01.161

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Ying
Wang
and/Li
Xin / Energy
Procedia
16 000000
(2012) 1009 1013
Author
name
Energy
Procedia
00 (2011)

2. Brief Description of model

2.1 Water quality model
Diffusion equation of pollutant
Diffusion equation of pollutant dispersion for water quality model is the average mass transport
equation of vertical diffusion. The formula is described as follows.

HP) ( HPu ( HPv

P

P
+
+
HDx HDy = HS kp
t
x
y
x
y
x
y

(1)

In which :P is pollutant concentration, u is the velocity of flow in x direction, and v is in y directions.

Dx is diversity coefficient in x direction and Dy is in y direction. S is pollutant discharge amount per unit
time, and k is attenuation quotient.
Source strength
The sewage discharge of Baosteel Group Corporation amount is 8.674 million m3 / year in 2009 and
discharge concentration is 31mg/L, of which Luojing area is 298 thousand m3 / year and discharge
concentration is 9mg/L. The sewage discharge of its amount is 10.925 million m3 / year in 2005 and
discharge concentration is 28mg/L. The sewage discharge of its amount is 13.037 million m3 / year in
2001 and discharge concentration is 29mg/L.
2.2 Settings of grid
For the topography of the research sea is comparatively complex and the coast is tortuous, triangular
grid is used in model. The method of grid refinement is used in crucial area. The grid spacing in
secondary computational sea area is larger than in crucial area. Figure 2 shows the computational grid.
There are 26, 792 nodes in the computational grid of Baosteels sea areas with a minimum grid space of
20 meters.
12115

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30

31
40

31
40

Ch
on

YangLin

gM
ing

35

Isla

nd
35

5km
Liu River
section

30

So Ch
urc e
e

nx
in
Pro g W
tec ate
tio r
nA
rea

Shang
Hai

4# 2#
3#

25

Legend
31
20

City

WuSong
section

WuSong

sewage of outfall
monitoring sections
12115

30

Qin
So gCao
urc
e P sha W
rote ate
ctio r
nA
rea

LuoJing
1#
area

Ch
an

gX
in

ZhuYuan
section

30

25

gI

sla
nd
31
20
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Fig. 1. Position of research area and the sewage of outfalls

Fig. 2. Computational grid of research sea area

3. Hydrodynamic model verification and Analysis

3.1 Modeling verification
In order to check whether the calculation model and the data processed is reasonable, the hydrological
observational data from 25th to 26th in May 2009 is verified and calculated on the tidal level, flow velocity

Ying Wang
andname
Li Xin/ Energy
/ EnergyProcedia
Procedia0016(2011)
(2012)000000
1009 1013
Author

and flow direction, based on the information and conditions mentioned above, which are shown in Figure
3 and Figure 4. The figures show that the computing result is the same with the measured values, which
could well reflect the characteristics of flow field in the waters of Yangtze River Estuary, and also
provide accurate hydrodynamic conditions for water quality model.

Fig 3 Verification curve of tidal level(measuring __calculating)

Fig. 4 Verification curve of velocity and direction(measuring __calculating)

3.2 Hydrodynamic numerical simulation

Figure 5 shows that in the south and north channel, the mean flow velocity of flood tide is between
0.80m/s and 1.30m/s. For the factor of topography, the velocity of flow in tidal channels is faster than the
point bars. Its flow direction is distributed between 270 and 320, and the diversification range in south
channel is a little lager than the norths. When the tide falls, the main flow velocity in the south channel is
between 1.10m/s and 1.45m/s with an average flow direction between 110 and 140. The flow velocity
in the north channel is between 120 and 170 with an average flow direction between 100 and 110.

Fig 5 The flow field diagram of the nearby sea area of Baosteel Corporation

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Ying
Wang
and/Li
Xin / Energy
Procedia
16 000000
(2012) 1009 1013
Author
name
Energy
Procedia
00 (2011)

3.3 Result analysis of numerical prediction

In water quality simulation all the five outfalls are discharging pollutant simultaneously. The data of
pollutant diffusion is calculated for consecutive fifteen days. According to numerical model,
concentration increment of pollutant of sea area near the outfalls is described in Figure 6. Table 1 is the
statistics on maximum influenced range caused by pollutant.
The tidal current of wastewater discharge areas generally is along-shore current, and the law of
pollutant dispersion is a narrow and long belt, in which the area perpendicular to coastline is relatively
narrow. From the simulation results we can find pollutant will not form an obvious pollution zone in sea
area near the outfalls. The average petroleum concentration for Chenxing Water Source Protection Area is
less than 2e-02mg/L. Compared to the background concentration of water quality in sea area, the
pollutant is not enough to to change the marine water quality grades of study area.
In Figure 7 petroleum concentration of the Liu River profile in 2001, 2005 and 2009 indicated the
pollutants maximum influenced range is lessened year by year with lessen of total discharge amount of
sewage. The maximum influenced range caused by pollutant is also lessened year after year. The situation
is the same in Wusong profile and Zhuyuan profile.
Table 1 The statistics on maximum influenced range caused by pollutant (unit: km)
petroleum

envelope concentration

along shore

offshore

2009

12.1

0.7

2.5

0.35

2005

12.3

0.75

2.9

0.42

2001

15.8

0.82

4.1

0.66

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Sou Che
rce nxin
Pr g W
otec at
tio er
n Ar
ea

31
35
0

30

Shang

25

Hai

>9e-004mg/L
>4e-004mg/L

31
20

City
30

31
20

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Ch
ong

3km

30
Qin

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30
gC
ao

sh

Min
g

sh

aW

Hai

31
31 20
20

City
30

Shang

Xin
g

25

Isla
nd

Hai

>9e-004mg/L
>4e-004mg/L

31
20

City

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3km

ater

Ch
anG
WuSong

Legend
>2e-002mg/L
>5e-003mg/L

ctio
nA
rea

25

lan
d

31
35

Isla
nd

30
ao

rce
Pro
te

25

Xin
g Is

Shang

>9e-004mg/L
>4e-004mg/L
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S ou

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a

Ch
anG
WuSong

Legend
>5e-003mg/L
>1e-003mg/L

C
urce henx
Pr ing W
otec at
tio er
nA
rea

aW
ater

Pro
tect
ion

25

Isla
nd

12145

30

31
31 35
35

So

Sou

Ch
anG
Xin
g
WuSong

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offshore

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ong
Min
g Is
lan
d

3km

Qin
gC
ao
sh
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ater
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tect
ion
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a

along shore

30

31
35

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25

Legend
>4e-003mg/L
>1e-003mg/L

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ong
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31
20

>=1e-003 mg/L

dispersal direction

31
35

30

>=4e-004 mg/L

30

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2001
2005
2009

5.0E-05
4.0E-05
3.0E-05

6.0E-04

4.0E-04
3.0E-04

2.0E-05

2.0E-04

1.0E-05

1.0E-04

0.0E+00

0.0E+00

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

distance(m)
3000

2001
2005
2009

5.0E-04

concentration(mg/L)

6.0E-05

concentration(mg/L)

concentration(mg/L)

Fig. 6 Envelope diagram of petroleum concentration increment in 2009,2005,2001

3.5E-04

2001
2005
2009

3.0E-04
2.5E-04
2.0E-04
1.5E-04
1.0E-04
5.0E-05

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

distance(m)
3000

Fig. 7 Petroleum concentration diagram of the Liu River, Wusong and Zhuyuan section

0.0E+00
0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

distance(m)
3000

Ying Wang
andname
Li Xin/ Energy
/ EnergyProcedia
Procedia0016(2011)
(2012)000000
1009 1013
Author

4. Conclusions
The results show that the hydrodynamic feature and pollutant diffusion laws in study sea area have
some characteristics as follows.
The results show that the tidal currents near study area are all of the rectilinear current types. The flow
direction of flood tide is in northwest, and the ebb tide is in southeast, which is basically in consistent
with the tidal current characteristics. Moreover, the figures of tidal level and velocity show that the
computing result is the same with the measured values, which could well reflect the characteristics of
flow field in the waters of Yangtze River Estuary.
After establishing a two-dimensional mathematical model of pollutants, the computation of
contributed concentration is simulated based on correct selection and calculation on diversity
coefficient. The results show that diffusion rule of petroleum isoline is towards southeast-northwest
direction with the distribution of wedge-shaped along the coastline and the affected area is mainly in
the offshore area of study area. The calculation results can better reflect transport and diffusion rule of
pollutants in Yangtze River Estuary area.
Due to the influence of the Yangtze River tidal current and runoff, in tidal cycle concentration of
pollutant has been very low when the pollutant diffuses horizontally 300 meters to the shore and
concentration has been diluted for more than a thousand times. That means the pollutant discharged
from Baosteel Corporation has little influence on marine water quality in Chenxing Water Source
Protection Area.
In 2009 the newly added Baosteel Luojing Project accounts a small proportion of total amount of
wastewater discharge of Baosteel Corporation. The numerical simulation result shows that its
influence degree and range are limited on base of comparison results of pollutant diffusion in 2009,
2005 and 2001.
The average petroleum concentration for Chenxing Water Source Protection Area is less than 2e02mg/L. Compared to the background concentration of water quality in sea area, the pollutant is not
enough to to change the marine water quality grades of study area.
Through the analysis of above results we can firmly draw a conclusion that pollutants influence on
marine water quality is lessened as the amount of wastewater discharge is lessened. The wastewater
discharge from Baosteel Corporation will not directly aggravate water quality pollution of the
Yangtze River.
References
[1] COX B A, A review of currently available in-stream water-quality models and their applicability for simulating dissolved
oxygen in lowland rivers. Sci Total Environ,314/315/316(1), 2003;p.335-377.
[2] Bingqing Tan, Guoping Zhang. Huai River water quality management model. Water protection, 2001;p.15-18.
[3] KELLERV.Risk assessment of down-the-drain chemicals: search for a suitable model. Sci Total Environ,
2006;360(1/2/3), p.305-318.
[4] Chunsheng Gong, YaoQi, Dihua Zhao, et al. Research on two-dimensional flow-water quality-sediment pollution mode of
shallow lakes. Water scientific progress, (4), 2006;p. 496-501.
[5] Jiaquan Wang, Chen Zhong, Wu Jun. River water quality model and its development trend. Journal of Anhui normal
university, 27 (3), 2004 ;p. 242-247.
[6] The Retrospective Evaluation Report on Baosteels Corporation Influence on the Shanghais Environment ,2010; p.10-30.

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