A GIS-based multimedia watershed model: Development and application

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2004

Abstract

A multimedia model was developed using publicly available geographical information system (GIS) data, chemical release information and local monitoring networks to assess the fate of trichloroethene (TCE) within the Passaic River Watershed. Seven environmental media, air, water, sediment, surface soil, terrestrial vegetation, root zone soil and vadose zone soil, were modeled in this study along with their sub-compartments. The Passaic River Watershed is described using the NJDEP geographical information system (GIS) resources, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the United States Soil Conservation Services (US SCS) soil data. The introduction of spatial resolution to a multimedia, unsteady state model is performed in this work, and represents an important step in expanding the use of equilibrium models to provide far reaching information on the fate of toxic contaminants within a given environmental unit. The spatial representation of cross-boundary fluxes was successfully demonstrated with the use of sub-watershed as an environmental unit and the direct assessment of TCE for each of the 11 sub-watersheds that make up the Passaic River Basin in northern New Jersey. Important data gaps identified during the development of this model include the lack of comprehensive monitoring data on organic contaminants, and non-uniformity among available physical environmental data from different government agencies. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifier

1642462388 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Chemosphere

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.01.014

ISSN

00456535

PubMed ID

15051375

First Page

1067

Last Page

1080

Issue

7

Volume

55

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