Industry Effluent Disposal into Rivers: Coupled Multiobjective-Analytical Optimization Model

Abstract

In this work, a linear system theory approach produces an analytical solution of contaminant mass transport equations for its subsequent use in multiobjective optimization for optimal waste allocation for a hypothetical multireach, multiwaste source river. The solution scheme used provided contaminant concentrations at the chosen checkpoint at any time, thus allowing for a solution to the optimization problem using a conventional mathematical iterative search method (sequential quadratic programming). The study conceptually investigates the effects of different input waste loads on the optimization with cost and equity objectives. The results suggest that in some cases, equity measure does not protect dischargers downstream, but rather balances all the dischargers with the most restricted dischargers. Moreover, 25–43% fuller utilization of the river’s assimilative capacity can be achieved by rearranging input waste loads between the discharges even in comparison with eliminating the most restricted waste sources.