A general risk assessment and management approach is proposed for analyzing and controlling (accidental) environmental pollution events. This concept is illustrated by a simplified case study, describing hypothetic point-source toxic pollution of the river Danube and its effect on the downstream bank-filtered well system. The numerical example indicates the viability of the suggested approach, highlighting also the necessary information base of environmental risk studies.
In the present water quality management practice the ambient water quality is determined on the basis of classification of recipients. This system disregards, however, the fact that the majority of hazardous micropollutants is tending to accumulate in suspended solids and may contaminate the bottom sediment.
The proposed water quality management system is aiming at providing potable water of good quality without any regards to classification of surface waters. The tasks are outlined on the basis of morphological, hydrological, hydraulic and technological conditions of drinking water production. In this approach both the previous events i.e. deposition or scouring of polluted bottom silt and the transport of suspended solids with coupled micropollutants are involved.
The new system is focused on Danube river, since the water supply or rather the bank-filtered water resources along it is endangered at many locations by accumulated pollutants in bed load.
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