TITLE:
Optimal Unknown Pollution Source Characterization in a Contaminated Groundwater Aquifer—Evaluation of a Developed Dedicated Software Tool
AUTHORS:
Bithin Datta, Om Prakash, Pauline Cassou, Mathieu Valetaud
KEYWORDS:
Groundwater Contamination, Source Characterization, Linked Simulation-Optimization
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.2 No.5,
December
18,
2014
ABSTRACT: Precise identification of the pollutant
source characteristics is the first step for designing an effective groundwater
contamination remediation strategy. In this study a linked simulation-optimization
based methodology is utilized for identification of unknown groundwater
pollution sources in a real life contaminated aquifer in New South Wales,
Australia where the source locations and source flux release history are the
explicit unknown variables. The methodology is applied utilizing an in house
software package GWSID developed at James Cook University for optimal determination
of the unknown source characteristics. The methodology incorporates linked
simulation optimization approach and utilizes simulated Algorithm as an
evolutionary optimization algorithm. The performance evaluation results show
practical utility of the methodology and of the associated developed computers
software in identifying the unknown source characteristics.