Monday, 31 October 2005
92g

Development of a Mathematical Model to Predict Fecal Coliform Levels in the Mobile Bay Area

Jeremy Brewer, Tam Do, and Manish Misra. Chemical Engineering, University of South Alabama, Engineering Lab Building EGLB 248, Mobile, AL 36688

Bacterial contamination is a serious problem in the Alabama oyster industry. Specifically among these is the fecal coliform bacterium. This bacterium is an indicator of sewage-polluted waters. The state of Alabama currently uses a predictive model based on the stage of the Mobile River to predict these bacteria levels. This research's purpose was to develop a mathematical model based on several environmental factors. Little success was found with this problem due to poor data correlation. However, upon taking a predictive approach, a model was developed that showed a decent fit of data. Further analysis using the technique of partial least squares will be used for future investigations.

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