Centre for Environmental Modelling and Chemistry

Physical-chemical properties are used to quantify a chemical's behaviour in an evaluative environment. Three types of chemicals are treated in this model: chemicals that partition into all media (Type 1), involatile chemicals (Type 2), and chemicals with zero, or near-zero, solubility (Type 3). The Level II model assumes a simple, evaluative environment with user-defined volumes and densities for the following homogeneous environmental media (or compartments): air, water, soil, sediment, suspended particles, fish and aerosols.

This model is useful for establishing the general features of a new or existing chemical's behaviour. A Level II calculation gives an indication of the likely media into which a chemical will tend to partition and an indication of relative concentrations in each medium. The distribution between media is the same as in Level I. The results of changes in chemical and environmental properties may be explored.

Three persistences are calculated, an overall value, T_O, and individual persistences attributable to reaction only, T_R, and advection only, T_A. Note that 1/T_O equals the sum of 1/T_R and 1/T_A.

Consideration of advection and reaction rates allows for the calculation of chemical persistence. It provides a first estimate of overall environmental persistence, which is a critical property of the chemical. It also shows which loss processes are likely to be most important. A fast reaction or short half-life may not be significant if relatively little of the chemical is subject to this reaction by virtue of its partitioning. The potential for the chemical to be subject to long-range atmospheric transport is also indicated by the magnitude of the air advection loss. The global chemical persistence is best indicated by the reaction persistence, whereas the local persistence is indicated by the overall persistence.

Note that in this version, reaction half-lives are requested for all 7 media. In previous versions reactions in only 4 media were treated. The advective residence time selected for air also applies to aerosols and the residence time for water applies to suspended particles and fish. The advective residence time of aerosols, suspended particles and fish cannot be specified independently of the air and water residence times.

A Level II calculation is more realistic than a Level I calculation but requires additional information.

Features of the Level II Program:
Provides a database of chemicals and chemical properties.
Permits temporary additions/changes of chemicals and their properties to a simulation.
Permits permanent additions, changes and deletions of chemicals and their properties to the chemical database.
Supplies default values for all input fields which may be easily changed. These values match those in the EQC model.
Provides context-sensitive Help.
Displays and prints the Level II model calculations, as performed by the program.
Allows the printing of simulation tables and the summary diagram and charts.
Allows the program results to be saved as a comma separated value (csv) file readable by most spreadsheet software.

This program was based on the following publication:

Mackay, D. 2001. "Multimedia Environmental Models: The Fugacity Approach - Second Edition", Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton.

The required input data are:
Chemical Properties:

Environmental Properties:

Emissions:

Model Output:

Minimum system requirements are an IBM-compatible PC running Windows 98 or XP.
This model will not run under Windows NT or 2000.

This program is only available in compiled form. A "readme.txt" file with more detailed technical information is included in the zipped file.

The Level II Model Version 2.17, released September 1999 continues to be available.

For non-Windows users the BASIC, evaluative, Level I, II and III fugacity models are available.

Please read the LEVEL II SOFTWARE LICENSE before downloading the software. Use of the software constitutes your agreement to abide by the terms and conditions set out in the license agreement.