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Numerical Study of Physical and Biogeochemical Processes Controlling Dissolved Oxygen in an Urbanized Subtropical Estuary: Vitória Island Estuarine System, Brazil

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Abstract

Subtropical estuaries such as the Vitória Island Estuarine System (VIES), located on the central coast of Brazil, are under strong anthropic pressure. Poor water quality is one of the impacts usually caused by the discharge of untreated effluents into the estuary. The purpose of this study is to understand the stress to which the VIES water quality is subjected, evaluating the dissolved oxygen (DO) balance, as well as the physical and biogeochemical processes that govern it. The computational fluid dynamics technique was used. The continuity and Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations are vertically integrated and solved numerically by the finite difference method in an orthogonal curvilinear grid. A similar procedure is performed for the advection–diffusion-reaction equation for scalar parameters such as temperature, salinity, oxygen, nutrients, and others. The results of the numerical simulations show that the main DO reduction process is mineralization. Reaeration and ocean water contributed positively to the increase in DO. As the movement of water is governed mainly by the astronomical tide, the critical moments for water quality occur in the quadrature, with less dispersion of the constituents due to lower velocities and lower dilution. In the regions of the main channel, near the Itanguá River and the Costa Channel, the largest degradations of water quality are found. Point sources had less spatial influence, with changes in DO observed only near the discharges.

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The numerical model source code is available at: https://oss.deltares.nl/web/delft3d/source-code.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Ambiental, Laboratório de Simulação de Escoamento com Superfície Livre, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, ES, CEP 29075-910, Vitória, Brazil

    Franciane Entringer Curbani, Kaio Calmon Lacerda, Fernando Túlio Camilo Barreto & Julio Tomás Aquije Chacaltana

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ecossistemas, Universidade Vila Velha, Rua Comissário José Dantas de Melo, 21, Boa Vista, CEP 29102-920, ES, Vila Velha, Brazil

    Flávio Curbani & Carlos Eduardo Tadokoro

  3. Departamento de Tecnologia Industrial, Centro Tecnológico, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, ES, CEP 29075-910, Vitória, Brazil

    Flávio Curbani

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  1. Franciane Entringer Curbani
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Contributions

Author 1: Franciane Entringer Curbani: Conceived and designed the analysis; organized the database; performed the computer simulations of hydrodynamics and water quality; performed the statistical analysis; performed the analysis and discussion of the results; made the figures; wrote the paper. Author 2: Kaio Calmon Lacerda: Conceived and designed the analysis; organized the database; performed the computer simulations of hydrodynamics; performed the analysis and discussion of the results; made the figures; wrote the paper. Author 3: Flávio Curbani: Conceived and designed the analysis; performed the analysis and discussion of the results; made the figures; wrote the paper. Author 4: Fernando Túlio Camilo Barreto: Conceived and designed the analysis; organized the database; performed the computer simulations of hydrodynamics; performed the analysis and discussion of the results; made the figures; wrote the paper. Author 5: Carlos Eduardo Tadokoro: Conceived and designed the analysis; performed the analysis and discussion of the results; performed the text analysis. Author 6: Julio Tomás Aquije Chacaltana: Conceived and designed the analysis; performed the analysis; performed analysis and discussion of the results; wrote the paper; performed the text analysis.

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Correspondence to Franciane Entringer Curbani.

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Curbani, F.E., Lacerda, K.C., Curbani, F. et al. Numerical Study of Physical and Biogeochemical Processes Controlling Dissolved Oxygen in an Urbanized Subtropical Estuary: Vitória Island Estuarine System, Brazil. Environ Model Assess 27, 233–249 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-021-09787-1

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