Modeling marine impacts of ocean incineration of PCB waste

A four level atmospheric - ocean - sediments transport model has been coupled to an ecosystem model to estimate the magnitude of effects of ocean-based incineration of PCB wastes. The atmospheric (top) layer of the model has a seasonally variable thickness, a reflecting boundary at the top, and an absorbing boundary at the air-water interface. Upper and lower layers of the oceanic water column constitute the second and third layers of the transport model, while the fourth layer represents the sediments on the seafloor. The ecosystem model focuses on linkages among major trophic compartments, and includes predation, metabolic, and pollutant assimilation and depuration components. Simulation results suggest that, for destruction and removal efficiencies on the order of 0.9999 (four nines), measurable bioaccumulation effects may occur in the benthos over a 50 year policy horizon.