Dimensionless volatilization rate for two pesticides in a lake

Abstract

In recent years, toxic pollution has become a relevant topic in lake management, especially in developed countries. Consequently, great effort has been made to increase our knowledge of contaminant transport and transformation phenomena, and their effects on lake water quality. The present paper reports on the characterization of input parameters for a dimensionless steady‐state model that simulates fate processes of volatile environmental contaminants. Dimensionless volatilization rates for two pesticides, 2,3,7,8‐ tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD) and endrin aldehyde, in particular, are estimated using field data from almost 80 Italian lakes. Careful analyses of the results allow us to define the variation range of input parameters and introduce some simplifications into the complete solutions of the model.