A GIS-based modeling system for petroleum waste management. Geographical information system

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Geospatial Analysis
• Hydrogeology

Background:

• Petroleum-contaminated sites pose significant environmental risks.
• Effective management strategies are crucial for mitigating these risks.
• Existing simulation tools may lack integrated spatial analysis capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel GIS-aided simulation (GISSIM) system for managing petroleum-contaminated sites.
• To integrate a 3D numerical model with a Geographical Information System (GIS) for enhanced contaminant fate simulation.
• To provide a user-friendly interface for managing data, linking model components, and visualizing results.

Main Methods:

• Development of the GIS-aided simulation (GISSIM) system, integrating a 3D numerical model and a GIS.
• Simulation of contaminant fate (benzene, toluene, xylenes) in subsurface unsaturated and saturated zones.
• Application of the GISSIM system to a North American petroleum-contaminated site case study.

Main Results:

• Dynamic simulation of contaminant concentrations (benzene, toluene, xylenes) in groundwater.
• Graphical presentation of simulation outputs, providing quantitative insights.
• Successful integration of numerical modeling with GIS for spatial data management and analysis.

Conclusions:

• The GISSIM system offers a robust framework for simulating contaminant transport at petroleum-contaminated sites.
• The system provides essential quantitative and scientific data for site impact assessment and risk analysis.
• GISSIM facilitates informed decision-making regarding practical remediation actions for contaminated sites.