Adaptation of fugacity models to treat speciating chemicals with constant species concentration ratios.

A "multiplier" method is developed by which multimedia mass balance fugacity models designed to describe the fate of a single chemical species can be applied to chemicals that exist as several interconverting species. The method is applicable only when observed ratios of species concentrations in each phase are relatively constant and there is thus no need to define interspecies conversion rates. It involves the compilation of conventional transformation and intermedia transport rate expressions for a single, selected key species, and then a multiplier, Ri, is deduced for each of the other species. The total rate applicable to all species is calculated as the product of the rate for the single key species and a combined multiplier (1 + R2 + R3 + etc.). The theory is developed and illustrated by two examples. Limitations of the method are discussed, especially under conditions when conversion rates are uncertain. The advantage of this approach is that existing fugacity and concentration-based models that describe the fate of single-species chemicals can be readily adapted to estimate the fate of multispecies substances such as mercury which display relatively constant species proportions in each medium.