ABSTRACT

The transport of pollutants is a fundamental part of the study of riverine flows (e.g., Garcia, 2001). The problem can be summarized in two questions: How long until a contaminant reaches a  certain location, and how concentrated will the cloud be when it arrives? These two questions have fundamental importance in the field, as the determination of remediation actions, in the case of accidental spills, and the design of effluent discharges both depend on providing an accurate description of the situation. Several factors affect the mixing and dilution of contaminants in rivers, including the type of release, the chemical and physical interactions of the contaminant and the river system, and the hydrodynamic conditions of the river. The following sections focus on the instantaneous release of dilute, passive, conservative contaminants for which the characteristics of the river regulate the dilution process.