This pilot study intended to investigate the application of Mixing Zone Guidelines in northern Sweden. The EC (European Commission)-Mixing Zone Guidelines were applied to seven effluent discharges. The effluents wer...This pilot study intended to investigate the application of Mixing Zone Guidelines in northern Sweden. The EC (European Commission)-Mixing Zone Guidelines were applied to seven effluent discharges. The effluents were from industrial processes used in the Ronnskar smelter, in northern Sweden. Each outlet in the smelter area discharges water into the Bothnian bay of the Baltic Sea. Cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) were the primary substances present in the effluents. A "Tiered Approach" was followed for mixing zone assessments in each of the discharge points. Discharge Test was used at Tier 2 and CORMIX (Cornell Mixing Zone Expert System model), version 7, at Tier 3. At each discharge point, the AA-EQS (annual average-environmental quality standard) for each metal was met within a distance of 500 m from the outfalls. This distance was exceeded to meet the MAC-EQS (maximum allowable concentration-environmental quality standard) criteria at points 1 and 3 for total Hg concentrations. However, for the proper application of Mixing Zone Guidelines, a version of the Discharge Test for coastal waters should be developed and used. The decision at which tier the dissolved metal concentration should be compared with EQS values could depend on the effluent characteristics. For Swedish coastal waters, some consideration should be given to the background concentration of metals.展开更多
文摘This pilot study intended to investigate the application of Mixing Zone Guidelines in northern Sweden. The EC (European Commission)-Mixing Zone Guidelines were applied to seven effluent discharges. The effluents were from industrial processes used in the Ronnskar smelter, in northern Sweden. Each outlet in the smelter area discharges water into the Bothnian bay of the Baltic Sea. Cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) were the primary substances present in the effluents. A "Tiered Approach" was followed for mixing zone assessments in each of the discharge points. Discharge Test was used at Tier 2 and CORMIX (Cornell Mixing Zone Expert System model), version 7, at Tier 3. At each discharge point, the AA-EQS (annual average-environmental quality standard) for each metal was met within a distance of 500 m from the outfalls. This distance was exceeded to meet the MAC-EQS (maximum allowable concentration-environmental quality standard) criteria at points 1 and 3 for total Hg concentrations. However, for the proper application of Mixing Zone Guidelines, a version of the Discharge Test for coastal waters should be developed and used. The decision at which tier the dissolved metal concentration should be compared with EQS values could depend on the effluent characteristics. For Swedish coastal waters, some consideration should be given to the background concentration of metals.