The Canadian

Centre for Environmental Modelling and Chemistry

TaPL3

Version 3.00 - September 2003

New in version 3.00!

Software Description

The TaPL3 model is intended as an evaluative tool to be used in the detailed assessment of chemicals for persistence and potential for long-range transport in a mobile medium, either air, or water, in a Level III (steady-state environment). It is expected that chemicals will be compared. (Absolute values may be misleading due to the absence of advection.)

The Level III model should be used for more general applications.

Two scenarios are modelled; an emission to air where air is the mobile medium, and emission to water where water is the mobile medium. There is no advective removal from the environment. The stickiness of each stationery medium with respect to the mobile medium is calculated.

Features of the TaPL3 Program:

  • Provides a database of chemicals and chemical properties.
  • Permits temporary or permanent 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.
  • Provides a database of environment properties.
  • Permits temporary or permanent additions/changes of environments and their properties to a simulation.
  • Permits permanent additions, changes and deletions of environments and their properties to the chemical database.
  • Provides context-sensitive Help.
  • Displays and prints the TaPL3 model calculations, as performed by the program.
  • Allows the printing of simulation tables and the summary diagram.
  • Allows the program results to be saved as a comma separated value file readable by most spreadsheet software

    This program was based on the following publications:

    Beyer, A., Mackay, D., Matthies, M., Wania, F., Webster, E. 2000. Assessing Long-range Transport Potential of Persistent Organic Pollutants. Environ. Sci. Tech. 34: 699-703.

    Webster, E., Mackay, D., Wania, F. 1998. Evaluating Environmental Persistence. Enviromental Toxicology and Chemisty 17: 2148-2158.

    Webster, E., Hubbarde, J., Mackay, D., Swanston, L., Hodge, A. 2003. Development of Tools to Improve Exposure Estimation for Use in Ecological Risk Assessment: The TaPL3 Upgrade. Report to Environment Canada. CEMC Report 2003xx. Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario.

    The required input data are:
     Chemical Properties:

  • chemical name
  • molar mass
  • data temperature
  • reaction half-life estimates for

    • - air
    - water
    - soil
    - sediment
    - vegetation
  • Type 1 chemicals

    • - water solubility
    - vapour pressure
    - log Kow
    - melting point
    - enthalpy for KOW and KAW
    - activation energy for half-lives
  • Type 2 chemicals

    • - environmental media partition coefficients with respect to water
  • Type 3 chemicals

    • - environmental media partition coefficients with respect to air

    Environmental Properties:

  • environment temperature
  • area of air and water compartments
  • depths for all bulk media
  • area fraction of vegetation
  • volume fractions for all subcompartments
  • wind and water speeds
  • densities for all subcompartments
  • organic carbon content (soil solids, suspended particles, sediment solids)
  • fish and vegetation lipid content (affects Type I chemicals only)
  • vegetation biomass and leaf area index
  • transport velocities - air side air-water mass transfer coefficient
    - water side air-water mass transfer coefficient
    - rain rate
    - aerosol dry deposition velocity
    - soil air phase diffusion mass transfer coefficient
    - soil water phase diffusion mass transfer coefficient
    - soil air boundary layer mass transfer coefficient
    - sediment-water mass transfer coefficient
    - sediment deposition velocity
    - sediment resuspension velocity
    - soil water runoff rate
    - soil solids runoff rate
    - leaf-air boundary layer mass transfer coefficient
  • scavenging ratio
  • fraction of rain intercepted by vegetation

    Model Output:

  • all input data
  • individual process D values
    For each of emission to air and emission to water:
  • overall environmental persistence
  • long-range transport potential
  • stickiness
  • average number of hops (emission to air only)
  • total emissions into the system
  • fugacity and Z values of each medium
  • concentrations and amounts for each medium
  • reaction D values and loss rates
  • intermedia transport rates and D values
  • individual process D values
  • a summary diagram
  • charts summarizing fugacity, concentration, amount, and percent

    Minimum system requirements:
    Minimum system requirements are an IBM-compatible PC running Windows 98 or XP. This model will not run under Windows NT or 2000. On some systems it may be necessary to adjust your screen resolution.

    The TaPL3 Model Version 2.10, released June 2000, continues to be available.

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

    Please read the TaPL3 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.

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    Last updated August 12, 2011.