Three-dimensional pollutant transport model for the Pearl River Estuary

Abstract

In this paper, the development and implementation of a three-dimensional, numerical pollutant transport model, which is based on an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system in the horizontal direction and a sigma coordinate system in the vertical direction, is delineated. An efficient as well as simple open boundary condition is employed for pollutant transport in this mathematical model. It is then applied to model the distribution and transport of Chemical Oxygen Demand in the Pearl River Estuary. The results from the numerical simulations illustrate that the transboundary or inter-boundary effects of pollutants, between the Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region due to the wastewater discharged from the Pearl River Delta Region, are quite strong.