1st International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software - Lugano, Switzerland - June 2002
Keywords
animal waste, manure management, fertilizers, environmental risk assessment, modelling
Start Date
1-7-2002 12:00 AM
Abstract
EGPE is an object-oriented model, which estimates the environmental distribution ofcontaminants within different environmental compartments and the specific risk associated with thesesdistributions and final concentrations. This model evaluates environmental impacts related to: a) the use ofsludge/manure as fertiliser, and b) direct discharges of slurry or effluents from treatment plants to waterstreams. The program takes into account the physico-chemical interaction processes occurring after thedischarge, estimating the downstream evolution of the following parameters: dissolved oxygen, organicnitrogen, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Within the estimations it is also included the environmental risk forthe aquatic communities related to quantified pollutants and the overall toxicity of the discharge measuredusing a direct toxicity assessment. For metals, the risk for soil and ground water pollution is also calculated.The risk assessment methodology has been based on the European Union framework for the risk assessmentof chemicals, and also additional criteria from other organisations and the results of literature searches.Environemtal and climatological conditions are crucial for the estimations. A set of default values for centralSpain conditions is offered. To calibrate the model to different conditions, a simple downstream monitoringof an urban discharge should be performed.
EGPE: A computer decision-support tool for the Ecomanagement of animal manure as agricultural fertiliser
EGPE is an object-oriented model, which estimates the environmental distribution ofcontaminants within different environmental compartments and the specific risk associated with thesesdistributions and final concentrations. This model evaluates environmental impacts related to: a) the use ofsludge/manure as fertiliser, and b) direct discharges of slurry or effluents from treatment plants to waterstreams. The program takes into account the physico-chemical interaction processes occurring after thedischarge, estimating the downstream evolution of the following parameters: dissolved oxygen, organicnitrogen, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Within the estimations it is also included the environmental risk forthe aquatic communities related to quantified pollutants and the overall toxicity of the discharge measuredusing a direct toxicity assessment. For metals, the risk for soil and ground water pollution is also calculated.The risk assessment methodology has been based on the European Union framework for the risk assessmentof chemicals, and also additional criteria from other organisations and the results of literature searches.Environemtal and climatological conditions are crucial for the estimations. A set of default values for centralSpain conditions is offered. To calibrate the model to different conditions, a simple downstream monitoringof an urban discharge should be performed.
