Oil spill model development and application for predicting vertical transport of non-volatile aliphatic hydrocarbons in stagnant water: Case of Nigerian Niger Delta mangrove swamps

Oil spills have become a major source of pollution. In some cases, the impacted environment is self-cleansed by waves. Turbulent environments have enjoyed research attention with models available. However, it is different for stagnant water in sections of Nigerian Niger Delta mangrove swamp. This paper reports on developing mathematical models for monitoring transport of non-volatile aliphatic hydrocarbons by water and sediments using equations of transport and mass transfer. The models were validated using results from a simulated stagnant water mangrove swamp polluted with crude oil. From the result, non-volatile aliphatic hydrocarbons transported through water at 0.25 m and 1 m for month 1 is 335.75 μg/l and 0.062 μg/l for experiment and 360.0 μg/l and 0.181 μg/l for model respectively. While month 5, was 1505.37 μg/l and 15.78 μg/l for experiment and 1300.77 μg/l and 28.94 μg/l for model respectively. These and others reported show that the models developed can adequately predict the transport of non-volatile aliphatics. •Parts of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has swamps with static water bodies laden with suspended sediments from decaying vegetation•The majority of oil spill in water research and modeling has been in flowing water with little focus on static water bodies•A predictive model to determine the transport of non-volatile aliphatics by water and sediment was developed•The model result was matched with that from field. The outcome gave a good match.