Calibration of the PCB Water Quality Model for the Delaware Estuary for Penta-PCBs and Carbon

Abstract

The overall objective of the model calibration was to accurately represent the principal environmental processes influencing the transport and fate of penta-PCBs in the Delaware River and Estuary. These processes include hydrodynamics, sorbent dynamics and partitioning of PCBs to organic carbon in the water column and bedded sediments. This model was calibrated to ambient data for biotic carbon (BIC) and particulate detrital carbon (PDC) in the water column, and to available data for net solids burial in the sediments. Finally, the calibrated sorbent dynamics model was used to drive a mass balance model of penta-PCBs in the water column and sediments