Dynamic Modelling of Heavy Metals Transport and Transformations in Somer River

Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
 
Figure 1.1 Percentage of people without access to clean water/sanitation 
The main constraint to agricultural production in many areas in the near future will be the 
availability of water, not land. 
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in Washington, by 2025, 
water will become the most serious resource problem in the world economy. Year 2025 forecasts 
state that two thirds of the world population will be without safe drinking water and basic 
sanitation services. 
 
Figure 1.2 Comparison between 1995 water situation and 2025 forecasts 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
The problems are twofold, researchers say: 
First, the supply of water and the demand for it are rarely in the same place. For example, China 
has about 21 percent of the world's population but only 7 percent of its water. On the other hand, 
the Amazon River Basin contains about 15 percent of the Earth’s freshwater runoff but supplies 
water to less than 1 percent of the world’s population. 
Second, an astonishingly small amount of the world's water is actually usable. Water pollution is 
already the single largest cause of sickness and death worldwide. Indeed, CSIS's Global Strategy 
Institute says if all the water on Earth were compressed to a single gallon, only four ounces 
would be fresh water. Of those four ounces, only two drops would be readily accessible. 
 
Figure 1.3 Distribution of world’s water 
Human beings already use one of those drops. But about 92 percent of that single drop goes to 
agriculture and industry; just 8 percent goes to cities, towns, and municipalities. So, for every 
gallon of water on the planet, only 8 percent of one drop is available for drinking, bathing, and 
other personal consumption. [Global Water Futures Brochure, 2005] 
In the past, the biggest threat to water supplies was microorganisms, which caused diseases like 
dysentery, typhoid, and giardiasis. Today, a bigger threat comes from contamination by 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
chemicals. Inorganic chemicals include metals and nutrients, while organics include pesticides 
and industrial wastes. Many of these chemicals have been linked to cancer, liver and kidney 
disease and nervous system damage. 
Apparently, there shouldn’t exist quantitative problems regarding the water resources in Europe, 
although in South America there is 10 times more water per capita. Water distribution at 
European level is very unequal, the North European countries having 6-8 times more water 
resources than the others. It is estimated that nearby all urban areas, in all European countries, 
the groundwater and surface water resources are overexploited. 
Compared to the rest of Europe, Romania is a country with reduced water resources. In spite of 
all efforts, stagnant surface water volume is modest and rivers have a relatively reduced flow 
capacity. The hydric potential is of approximately 1.750 cm/capita/year, against the European 
mean of 4.800 cm/capita/year. The water resources differ geographically, being rich in 
mountainous regions and reduces in plain regions, in Bărăgan and Dobrogea. Various inter-basin 
actions have not annulled the discrepancies and do not increase, on the whole, the water quantity. 
Therefore Romania has an additional reason to show concern for its waters, which pose both 
quantitative and qualitative problems. 
Using the water quality models has turned out to be an effective method in aquatic resources 
management. The basic problem would be to develop a mathematical model to adequately 
describe the phenomena of interest. Water quality management and aquatic ecosystems 
protection means, firstly, pollution control. 
Therefore, prediction activity in order to evaluate running water characteristics occupies, at 
global level, an important place in the research activity. And this especially as a consequence of 
the natural disasters that have taken place. Such simulators are necessary in order to have 
information about water quality and quantity. This activity exists in practice for several decades 
now, but in Romania only for a few years. The need of a river dynamic behavior simulator 
determined the decision to undertake this project. 
The Someş River has been chosen for study due to the fact that it is an important trans-frontier 
river, which springs in Romania, crosses Romania (376 km) and Hungary (51 km) and then it 
flows into Tisa in Hungary. It has two springs in the Oriental Carpathians. The main water 
courses to be studied in the present research are:  
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
• Warm Someş (at springs) 
• Little Someş (178 km length) 
• Someş (from the confluence Little Someş – Big Someş 246km) 
It is very important to study and to monitor heavy metals in the Someş River hydrographic basin, 
as the majority of the pollutant agents in the area utilize heavy metals in their activities, as shown 
in Screening of dangerous substances for relevant industrial activity fields and in Inventory of 
users who own storage facilities for potential polluting substances in the Someş – Tisa 
hydrographic basin. [A.R.] 
1.2.2. Personal contribution 
Pollutant transport modeling in rivers can be generally looked at as the study of the processes 
that lead to concentration modification of species in water. These processes can be: transport and 
transformation. In order to build a model to adequately represent the system it is absolutely 
necessary to take into account both the transport, and the transformation processes. A study on 
heavy metals and the transformations they can suffer during their transport is carried out in order 
for all these to be included in the model, through characteristic equations. 
The proposed simulator will enable users to study short or long-term impact of heavy metals 
water pollution on Someş water quality. For example the pollutants concentration in water, 
pollution wave evolution can be calculated using this simulator. 
1.2.3. Project Structure 
Structurally the research has been organized in the following steps: 
o Literature study on heavy metals transport in running waters. This study has been carried 
out to determine the existant theoretical models in order to designate the optimum modeling 
method of the heavy metals transport in Someş. 
o Pollution study on Someş. Its purpose is to offer information for configuring the models, 
but also experimental data for their verification. This information serves to determine the 
most important pollution agents for Someş, the proper models for simulating the heavy 
metals transport in Someş, etc. 
o Modeling. After establishing the available data and the data that the models should 
provide, considering also the types of existing models, an evaluation to determine the 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
adecvate models has been carried out. The modeling parameters and variables have been 
established and in the end the models have been built and ran. 
o Model verification. For this, information provided by the AR have been utilised, as well 
as commercial simulation software for polutant transport in rivers. At first a screening of the 
information held and an analysis of the commercial sotfware have been carried out, in order 
for these to be suitable for the verification process. In the verification process only one 
software has been utilised, this being considered the optimum one for this. 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
2. Literature study regarding pollution in Someş 
Water pollution is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies (lakes, rivers oceans, 
groundwater) caused by human activities. Although natural phenomena such as volcanoes, 
storms, earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of water, 
these are not deemed to be pollution. Water pollution is usually caused by human activities. Different human 
sources add to the pollution of water. 
Water pollution has many causes and characteristics. Increases in nutrient loading may lead to 
eutrophication. Eutrophication is the enrichment of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients, 
typically compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus. Eutrophication is considered a form of 
pollution because it promotes plant deterioration, favoring certain species over others and forcing 
a change in species composition. In aquatic environments, enhanced growth of choking aquatic 
vegetation or phytoplankton disrupts normal functioning of the ecosystem, causing a variety of 
problems. Human society is impacted as well: eutrophication decreases the resource value of 
rivers, lakes, and estuaries such that recreation, fishing, hunting, and aesthetic enjoyment are 
hindered. Health-related problems can occur where eutrophic conditions interfere with drinking 
water treatment. 
Organic wastes such as sewage and farm waste impose high oxygen demands on the receiving 
water leading to oxygen depletion with potentially sever impacts on the whole eco-system. 
Industries discharge a variety of pollutants in their wastewater including heavy metals, organic 
toxins, oils, nutrients and solids. Discharges can also have thermal effects, especially those from 
power stations, and these too reduce the available oxygen. Silt-bearing runoff from many 
activities including construction sites, forestry and farms can inhibit the penetration of sunlight 
through the water column restricting photosynthesis and causing blanketing of the lake or river 
bed which in turns damages the ecology. 
Pollutants in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical chemistry or 
sensory changes. Many of the chemical substances are toxic or even carcinogenic. Pathogens can 
obviously produce waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water’s 
physical chemistry includes acidity, conductivity, temperature, and excessive nutrient loading 
(eutrophication). Even many of the municipal water supplies in developed countries can present 
health risks. 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
The main sources of water pollution are: 
• Industrial discharge of chemical wastes and byproducts. The pollutants include grit, 
asbestos, phosphates and nitrates, mercury, lead, caustic soda and other sodium 
compounds, sulfur and sulfuric acid, oils and petrochemicals. [The Columbia 
Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001-05] 
• Discharge pf poorly-treated or untreated sewage 
• Surface runoff containing pesticides, spilled petroleum products 
• Surface runoff from construction sites, farms or paved and other impervious surfaces, e.g. 
silt 
• Discharge of contaminated and/or heated water used for industrial processes 
• Acid rain caused by industrial discharge of sulfur dioxide  (by burning high-sulfur fossil 
fuels) 
• Runoff containing detergents and fertilizers (add  excess nutrients) 
• Underground storage tank leaking, leading to soil contamination, and then to water 
contamination. 
The water contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances. 
Some of the organic water pollutants are: 
• Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalide (compound formed by a 
halogen and a metal) and other chemicals 
• Bacteria, often from sewage or operations 
• Food processing waste, including pathogens 
• Tree and brush debris from logging operations 
• VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds, industrial solvents) from improper storage 
Some inorganic water pollutants include: 
• Heavy metals including acid mine drainage 
• Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfuric acid from power plants) 
• Chemical waste as industrial byproducts 
• Fertilizers, in runoff from agriculture, including nitrates and phosphates 
• Silt in surface runoff from construction sites, logging, or land clearing sites 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
Virtually, all water pollutants are hazardous to human beings. Sodium causes cardiovascular 
disease, nitrates cause blood disorders, mercury and lead may cause neurological disorders and 
kidney damage, some contaminants are carcinogens, and DDT can alter chromosomes. Some of 
the maladies transmitted by sewage in drinking water are salmonellas, hepatitis, and dysentery. 
There are several classes of water pollutants. 
The first are disease-causing agents. These are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms 
that enter sewage systems and untreated waste. 
A second category of water pollutants is oxygen-demanding wastes; wastes that can be 
decomposed by oxygen-requiring bacteria. When large populations of decomposing bacteria are 
converting these wastes it can deplete oxygen levels in the water. This causes other organisms in 
the water, such as fish, to die. 
A third class of water pollutants is water-soluble inorganic pollutants, such as acids, salts and 
toxic metals. Large quantities of these compounds will make water unfit to drink and will cause 
the death of aquatic life. 
Another class of water pollutants is nutrients; they are water-soluble nitrates and phosphates that 
cause excessive growth of algae and other water plants, which deplete the water's oxygen supply. 
This kills fish and, when found in drinking water, can kill young children. 
Water can also be polluted by a number of organic compounds such as oil, plastics and 
pesticides, which are harmful to humans and all plants and animals in the water. 
A very dangerous category is suspended sediment, because it causes depletion in the water's light 
absorption and the particles spread dangerous compounds such as pesticides through the water. 
Finally, water-soluble radioactive compounds can cause cancer, birth defects and genetic damage 
and are thus very dangerous water pollutants. 
There are two sorts of sources, point and nonpoint sources. Point sources discharge pollutants at 
specific locations through pipelines or sewers into the surface water. Nonpoint sources are 
sources that cannot be traced to a single site of discharge. 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
Examples of point sources are: factories, sewage treatment plants, underground mines, oil wells, 
oil tankers and agriculture. 
Examples of nonpoint sources are: acid deposition from the air, traffic, pollutants that are spread 
through rivers and pollutants that enter the water through groundwater. Nonpoint pollution is 
hard to control because the perpetrators cannot be traced. 
Water pollution is detected in laboratories, where small samples of water are analyzed for 
different contaminants. Living organisms such as fish can also be used for the detection of water 
pollution. Changes in their behavior or growth show us, that the water they live in is polluted. 
Specific properties of these organisms can give information on the sort of pollution in their 
environment. Laboratories also use computer models to determine what dangers there can be in 
certain waters. They import the data they own on the water into the computer, and the computer 
then determines if the water has any impurities. 
2.1. Someş River Basin  presentation 
Our country’s hydrographic network [Appendix 16.1] is dominated by the hydrographic basins 
of the following rivers: Someş, Crişuri, Crasna, Barcău, Turu and Tisa and Arieş. 
The river network in the Someş river basin includes a number of 403 coded watercourses, with a 
total length of 5528 km (7% from the total length of inland rivers in the country). 
Someş River is an important trans-frontier river, which springs in Romania, crosses Romania 
(376 km) and Hungary (51 km) and then flows into Tisa in Hungary. It has two springs in the 
Oriental Carpathians, namely Big Someş in Rodnei Mountains and Little Someş in Apuseni 
Mountains (Warm Someş and Cold Someş streams) and it flows towards North-East. 
The main water courses to be studied in the present research are:  
• Warm Someş (at springs) 
• Little Someş (178 km length) 
• Someş (from the confluence Little Someş – Big Someş 246) 
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Dynamic modelling of heavy metals transport and transformations in Someş River 
Someş hydrographic basin includes a number of 123 coded water streams, with a total length of 
1514 km and a total area of 15207 km
2
. The average density of the hydrographic network is 
0,35km/km
2
. 
The main water streams are: 
• Little Someş, with 178 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 3773 km
2
 
• Someş, with 38 km of length, until its junction with the Little Someş it is named Big 
Someş 
• Cold Someş, with 49 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 300 km
2
 
• Fizeş, with 46 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 562 km
2
 
• Borşa, with 38 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 267 km
2
 
• Lonea, with 37 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 182 km
2
 
• Căpuş, with 32 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 320 km
2
 
• Gădălin, with 29 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 295 km
2
 
• Bandău, with 27 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 135 km
2
 
• Lujerdiu, with 26 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 77 km
2
 
• Feneş, with 23 km of length and the area of the reception basin of 103 km
2
 
Along the Someş river and its main tributaries, 39 river reaches have protection works against 
floods (levees on one bank or both banks of rivers), 150 river reaches have hydraulic structures 
and regulation works (river bed protection works) and 29 river reaches have only bank protection 
works. 
Water sources and resources 
Total theoretical water resources in this basin are of approximately 4.348 million cm (from 
which 4.012 million cm come from surface waters and 336 million cm from ground waters), but 
only 21,7% are technically usable (945 million cm from which 715 million cm in rivers and 
reservoirs and 230 million cm in ground waters). 
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