Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 28, 2026

Visualizing Hyporheic Flow Through Bedforms Using Dye Experiments and Simulation
Published on: November 18, 2015
A practical demonstration in modelling diclofenac and propranolol river water concentrations using a GIS hydrology
A C Johnson1, V Keller, R J Williams
1Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) Wallingford, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK. ajo@ceh.ac.uk <ajo@ceh.ac.uk>
Abstract:
An existing GIS hydrology water quality model, LF2000-WQX, was applied to predict the concentrations of the pharmaceuticals diclofenac and propranalol in catchments. As a practical exercise the predominantly rural Tamar (UK) catchment was chosen. Consumption, excretion, and fate data were used to estimate the pharmaceutical input load for the model. The predicted concentrations throughout most of the catchment were 1 ng/L or less under low flow (90th percentile) conditions. However, at a few locations, downstream of small sewage treatment plants, concentrations above 25 ng/L were predicted. This exercise shows that it is relatively straightforward to predict the concentrations of new and emerging organic microcontaminants in real catchments using existing GIS hydrology water quality models. Further testing will be required to establish their accuracy.
Related Concept Videos
Modeling and Similitude
Typical Model Studies
Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway
Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment
Applications of GIS: Disaster Management and Emergency Response
Design Example: Alignment of a Road Line Using GIS

