Physical oceanographic investigation procedure for a sea - Outfall project

Abstract

Coastal areas of the oceans have long been used for the disposal of domestic and industrial effluents. With growing interest in environmental problems came the realization that there is a limit to assimilate all pollutants. Much need to be done to the ocean and other resources in a way which negates their destruction but permits maximum utilization. Even though the coastal water body is the most utilized medium for waste disposal, the behaviour of all pollutants is not adequately understood, as the waste assimilating or disposal characteristics depend upon numerous physical factors. The obvious function of a wastewater disposal installation is to convey the waste, treat it to a suitable degree before final disposal so that its effect on the receiving waters will be minimum, even at the point of initial mixing. The point of final disposal must be selected on the basis of overall suitability for rapid and thorough initial mixing of the waste with the receiving waters. For these reasons, physical oceanographic investigations are inevitable at each location of interest for proper planning and design of an outfall. Indeed, besides physical oceanographic parameters the overall planning also requires, chemical, biological, geological and engineering parameters. These aspects are not dealt with in this presentation. The present study confines to the physical oceanographical parameters for the selection of coastal outfalls