USE OF DRINKING WATER TREATMENT RESIDUALS AS A SOIL AMENDMENT FOR STORMWATER NUTRIENT TREATMENT
USE OF DRINKING WATER TREATMENT RESIDUALS AS A SOIL AMENDMENT FOR STORMWATER NUTRIENT TREATMENT
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Date
2010
Authors
O'Neill, Sean William
Advisor
Davis, Allen P
Citation
DRUM DOI
Abstract
Stormwater runoff has been implicated as a major source of excess nutrients
to surface waters, contributing to the development of eutrophic conditions.
Bioretention, a promising technology for urban stormwater pollution treatment, was
investigated to determine if an aluminum-based water treatment residual (WTR)
amended bioretention soil media (BSM) could adsorb phosphorus to produce
discharge concentrations below 25 μg/L.
Batch, small column, and vegetated column studies were employed to
determine both the optimal BSM mixture and media performance. Media tests
demonstrated P adsorption proportional to WTR addition. Final selected
experimental media consisted of 75% sand, 10% silt, 5.8% clay, 5.2% WTR, and
3.4% bark mulch (air dry mass basis).This media showed excellent P removal relative
to a non-WTR-amended media. Whereas the control media leached P (71.1%
increase in mass), the experimental media adsorbed 85.7% of the P mass applied,
displaying a cumulative effluent EMC of 16.1 μg/L, below the 25 μg/L goal.