ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

www.epa.gov/ecology
BUILDING A SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION FOR SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS

Modeling Hg in streams using the WASP modeling framework

Christopher D. Knightes Mercury in Streams Ecosystems Team Meeting Troy, NY 3-6 May 2010
This presentation has been reviewed in accordance with USEPA peer and administrative review policies and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the USEPA.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development

WASP Modeling Framework

Binary Wasp Input File (wif)

Model Preprocessor/Data Server CSV, ASCII Output

Input
Hydrodynamic Interface

WASP
M es sa ge s Binary Model Output

Models
Eutrophication

Stored

Hydro
Organic Toxicants Mercury Heat

BMD
M od el Re su l ts

Data

MOVEM

Graphical Post Processor

2

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

Ex p

or

te d

WASP Hg Module

Point Source Loads of HgII

Watershed and Atmospheric Loads of HgII and MeHg

Gas Exchange of Hg0

Demethylation Methylation

State Variables
Hg0 HgII MeHg Silt Sand POM
Oxidation Reduction

Burial ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

After EPA WASP 7 course.

WASP Advantages
Network Flexibility Applicable to most water body types at some level of complexity 0D, 1D, 2D, 3D including branching Most Water Quality Problems Conventional Water Quality: DO, nutrients, eutrophication, heat Toxicants: organics, metals, mercury-specific module Separation of Processes Transport (Advection, Exchange/Dispersion, Solids) Kinetics External Links to Models and Spreadsheets Has internal, simple hydrodynamic modeling approaches for water routing

Dams and impoundments Tidal influence and reverse flows

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

WASP Limitations
Does not handle some variables and processes: Segment drying (mudflats, flood plains) Metals speciation reactions (special module, META4), Calculations done outside WASP and then transferred in Currently limited to 3 chemical species and 3 solids types Potentially large external hydrodynamic files Forces WASP delineation and time steps Separate eutrophication and toxicant fate modules Cannot readily be run in batch mode Requires manual calibration and parameter estimation and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis Introduction of new algorithms and processes can be slow and limited to the current WASP architecture.

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

WASP Limitations
Does not handle some variables and processes: Segment drying (mudflats, flood plains) Metals speciation reactions (special module, META4), Calculations done outside WASP and then transferred in Currently limited to 3 chemical species and 3 solids types Potentially large external hydrodynamic files Forces WASP delineation and time steps Separate eutrophication and toxicant fate modules Cannot readily be run in batch mode FRAMES Requires manual calibration and parameter estimation and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis Introduction of new algorithms and processes can be slow and limited to the current WASP architecture.
ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

sWASP

sWASP sWASP

Multi-Media Hg Modeling Framework

Atmospheric Models and Deposition Data CMAQ HYSPLIT MDN

Watershed Models GBMM WCS - MLM SERAFM - NPS

Water Body Models WASP7 SERAFM

Bioaccumulation Models BASS FGETS

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

US EPA Ecosystem Services Research

Incorporating ecosystem services into environmental decision making Response of services to different scenarios
- land use change, climate change, management strategies
Water Quality Recreation, Aesthetics Climate Regulation

PlaceBased Studies

Water Quantity

Air Quality

Coastal Carolinas Study

Biodiversity Flood/storm Protection Food, Fiber, and Fuels

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

McTier Creek WASP

MA1 MA2

1
2

3 4

MA3 MA4 MA5 MA7

water sediment

5
MA6

7 8
MA8

1. GBMM and TOPMODEL feed information forward to WASP. 2. sWASP application informs WASP parameterization 3. Each WASP segment simulates Hg(II), Hg(0), MeHg and silt, sand, and POM vs time
9

6
9

MA9

11 12

10

MA10

4. dMeHg from WASP fed into BASS for bioaccumulation of MeHg for different trophic levels and fish species

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

McTier WASP Modeling

Publication Target WASP application: Focused Hg fate and transport Coastal Plain watershed and streams: McTier Expanded to inform understanding of Hg cycling on regional scale: Edisto
McTier Creek Area ~31 mi2 Edisto River @ Givhans ~2900 mi2
10

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM

Fully Integrated Hg Modeling in Two Watersheds

Atmospheric Deposition Data MDN CMAQ

Publication Target Fully Integrated Synthesis paper incorporating Monitoring and Modeling Studies at Both Watersheds: McTier Creek and Fishing Brook
Bioaccumulation BASS

Watershed GBMM TOPMODEL SERAFM - NPS

Water Body WASP7

sWASP

11

ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES RESEARCH PROGRAM