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Updated: Dec 13, 2025

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems
Published on: December 24, 2014
An agent-based model that simulates the spatio-temporal dynamics of sources and transfer mechanisms contributing
Aaron J Neill1, Doerthe Tetzlaff2, Norval J C Strachan3
1Northern Rivers Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, Scotland, United Kingdom; The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
A new Model for the Agent-based simulation of Faecal Indicator Organisms (MAFIO) is developed that attempts to overcome limitations in existing faecal indicator organism (FIO) models arising from coarse spatial discretisations and poorly-constrained hydrological processes. MAFIO is a spatially-distributed, process-based model presently designed to simulate the fate and transport of agents representing FIOs shed by livestock at the sub-field scale in small (<10 km2) agricultural catchments. Specifically, FIO loading, die-off, detachment, surface routing, seepage and channel routing are modelled on a regular spatial grid. Central to MAFIO is that hydrological transfer mechanisms are simulated based on a hydrological environment generated by an external model for which it is possible to robustly determine the accuracy of simulated catchment hydrological functioning. The spatially-distributed, tracer-aided ecohydrological model EcH2O-iso is highlighted as a possible hydrological environment generator. The present paper provides a rationale for and description of MAFIO, whilst a companion paper applies the model in a small agricultural catchment in Scotland to provide a proof-of-concept.
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