PCWA-L 480.pdf - PCWA Middle Fork American River Project ...

Contaminant Analysis
.. Enter an initial predator concentration (or accept the default of 0), and enter the appropriate
data in the additional edit boxes that have been activated for input. Note that activation of an edit
box'is dependent upon the type of elimination selected in your initial setup. Following are· .
descriptions of the possible user input parameters:
• Initial predator concentration (mglkg): The concentration of contaminants in your
predator immediately before the simulation begins. .
• Allometric constant: Mass dependence of contaminant elimination.
• Elimination constant (g-l;/d): Base line elimination rate.
• Base temperature for elimination (degrees C): Scales the temperature
dependence of elimination.
.. Once you've entered your parameters, select OK.
Contaminant user input data
User input data for contaminant analysis follows the same set of rules that applies to other user
input data as explained in chapter three. You'll also find analogies between the type of data
entered for basic bioenergetics and for contaminant analysis. For example, in basic bioenergetics
you need data for the prey energy concentration and the predator energy concentration; whereas,
in contaminant analysis you need data for prey contaminant concentrations.
. The differences between basic bioenergetics calculations and contaminant calculations is in the
assimilation and bioaccumulation of consumed contaminants. The assimilation Is quantified in the'
user input data file, Assimilation efficiency, and the bioacci.lmulation is quantified by the type of
contaminant elimination selected its accompanying user input parameters. The values for
assimilation efficiency range from 0 to 1, Wjtll a typical value being around 0.7. For an eXllmple of
contaminant assimilation efficiencies, see section 3.2 User Input Data Fifes. .
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