Pollutant transport and residence time of a shallow and narrow coastal lagoon estimated using a numerical model

Setiu Wetland is rapidly developing into an aquaculture and agriculture hub, causing concern about its water quality condition. To address this issue, it is imperative to acquire knowledge of the spatial and temporal dis-tributions of pollutants. Consequently, this study applied combinations of hydrodynamic and particle tracking models to identify the transport behaviour of pollutants and calculate the residence time in Setiu Lagoon. The particle tracking results indicated that the residence time in Setiu Lagoon was highly influenced by the release location, where particles released closer to the river mouth exhibited shorter residence times than those released further upstream. Despite this fact, the pulse of river discharges successfully reduced the residence time in the order of two to twelve times shorter. Under different tidal phases, the residence time during the neap tide was longer regardless of heavy rainfalls, implying the domination of tidal flow in the water renewal within the lagoon.

Automated summary

The Setiu Wetland is developing into a hub for aquaculture and agriculture, raising concerns about water quality. This study utilized hydrodynamic and particle tracking models to study pollutant transport and residence time in Setiu Lagoon, finding that release location and tidal phases significantly impact residence time. River discharges and tidal flow play important roles in water renewal within the lagoon.