title: Environmental consequences of a power plant shut-down: a three-dimensional water quality model of Dublin Bay.
abstract: A hydro-environmental model is used to investigate the effect of cessation of thermal discharges from a power plant on the bathing water quality of Dublin Bay. Before closing down, cooling water from the plant was mixed with sewage effluent prior to its discharge, creating a warmer, less-saline buoyant pollutant plume that adversely affects the water quality of Dublin Bay. The model, calibrated to data from the period prior to the power-plant shut-down (Scenario1), assessed the water quality following its shut-down under two scenarios; (i) Scenario2: continued abstraction of water to dilute sewage effluents before discharge, and (ii) Scnenario3: sewage effluents are discharged directly into the Estuary. Comparison between scenarios was based on distribution of Escherichia coli (E. coli), a main bathing quality indicator. Scenarios1 and 2, showed almost similar E. coli distribution patterns while Scenario3 displayed significantly higher E. coli concentrations due to the increased stratification caused by the lack of prior dilution.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Water Resources Research, University College Dublin, Newstead Building, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. zeinab.bedri@ucd.ie
authors.forename: Zeinab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bedri
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruen
authors.forename: Aodh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dowley
authors.forename: Bartholomew
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Masterson
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development; D007494:Ireland; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011210:Power Plants; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D014873:Water Pollutants