title: Sensitivity analysis for the SimpleTreat model to simulate fate of chemicals in sewage treatment plants.
abstract: SimpleTreat 3.1 predicts the distribution and elimination of chemicals by sewage treatment. The model is used as the default calculation in EUSES 2.0 to estimate exposure concentration in the receiving water, soil and air. A sensitivity analysis was performed to rank input parameters according to their influence on model predictions. Triclosan was selected for the base case. The sewage flow, degradation rates and parameters describing the raw sewage were shown to be the most sensitive inputs. The pH and dissociation constant are very sensitive parameters when working with ionisable compounds. Variation in certain input parameters was propagated through the model to yield greater variation in output parameters with a maximum ratio of 4.0. SimpleTreat 3.1 is a steady state model describing a highly non-steady system. A large variability in the most sensitive parameters is expected within a single sewage plant and parameters should therefore be selected to cover this variability.
authors: Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK. melanie.kah@univie.ac.at
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kah
authors: C D
authors: CD
authors: Brown
mesh_terms: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000737:chemistry; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012722:Sewage; D012984:Software; D014260:Triclosan / Q000737:chemistry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D012722:Sewage; D014260:Triclosan