APEX (Aqueous Photochemistry of Environmentally occurring Xenobiotics): a free software tool to predict the kinetics of photochemical processes in surface waters

Abstract

The APEX software predicts the photochemical transformation kinetics of xenobiotics in surface waters as a function of: photoreactivity parameters (direct photolysis quantum yield and second-order reaction rate constants with transient species, namely ˙OH, CO₃⁻˙, ¹O₂ and the triplet states of chromophoric dissolved organic matter, ³CDOM*), water chemistry (nitrate, nitrite, bicarbonate, carbonate, bromide and dissolved organic carbon, DOC), and water depth (more specifically, the optical path length of sunlight in water). It applies to well-mixed surface water layers, including the epilimnion of stratified lakes, and the output data are average values over the considered water column. Based on intermediate formation yields from the parent compound via the different photochemical pathways, the software can also predict intermediate formation kinetics and overall yield. APEX is based on a photochemical model that has been validated against available field data of pollutant phototransformation, with good agreement between model predictions and field results. The APEX software makes allowance for different levels of knowledge of a photochemical system. For instance, the absorption spectrum of surface water can be used if known, or otherwise it can be modelled from the values of DOC. Also the direct photolysis quantum yield can be entered as a detailed wavelength trend, as a single value (constant or average), or it can be defined as a variable if unknown. APEX is based on the free software Octave. Additional applications are provided within APEX to assess the σ-level uncertainty of the results and the seasonal trend of photochemical processes.