Applications for CHEMMAP include:

• Hindcast/forecast of spill response.
• Natural resource damage assessment.
  
• Contingency planning - including worst-case scenario.
  
• Evaluation of point source discharges.
  
• Cost-benefit analysis.
  
• Drills and education.
  

Features

• Contains ASA's own GIS or can be used in other GIS software such as ArcView®.
  
• Location specific environmental/ biological data applied to any fresh or salt aquatic environment in the world.
• Can utilize a variety of hydrodynamic file formats.
• Easily interpreted visual displays of concentrations over time.
• 3D Viewer capabilities.
• Biological exposure model to predict exposed fish and wildlife impacts.
• MSDS database linked to the physical-chemical database.
• Extensive chemical database providing physical-chemical data.
  

Chemical Fates Model

CHEMMAP simulates the following processes:

• Initial plume dynamics.
• Slick spreading, transport, and entrainment of floating materials.
• Evaporation and volatilization (to atmosphere).
• Transport and dispersion of dissolved and particulate materials in the water column and in the atmosphere.
• Dissolution and adsorption to suspended sediments.
• Sedimentation and resuspension.
• Natural degradation.
• Shoreline entrainment.
• Boom effectiveness.

Biological Exposure and Effects Model

The biological exposure model evaluates:

• Area or water volume exposed above a selected threshold (i.e. a toxicological endpoint in US EPA ecological risk assessment terminology).
• Dose (sum of concentration times time of exposure) the biota are exposed to and the expected percent mortality from acute toxic effects.

Stochastic Model

The stochastic model predicts:

• Range of expected concentrations and the probability of exceeding thresholds of concern from a chemical discharge.
• Frequency distribution of model results, for which statistics are calculated and plotted.

Environmental, Chemical and Biological Databases

• Environmental database - includes coastline, bathymetry, shoreline type, ecological habitat type, and temporally varying ice coverage and temperature.
• Chemical database - includes physical-chemical parameters that allow the user to add new chemicals, duplicate chemicals already in the database and make changes to chemical data while preserving the original values. There is a link to ChemWatch Chemical Management System's comprehensive Health and Safety information.
• Biological databases - can be set up for any area of the world. For the US, ASA has developed a biological database containing seasonal or monthly mean abundance by species and habitat type for each biogeographic region of the US.