Assessment of Biosorption Activated Media Under Roadside Swales for the Removal of Phosphorus from Stormwater

Abstract

Stormwater runoff from highways is a source of pollution to surface water bodies and groundwater. Excess loadings of phosphorus in stormwater discharged to surface water bodies can result in eutrophication. Treatment of stormwater for phosphorus is necessary in order to sustain ecological and economical benefits related to aquatic resources. If phosphorus is removed, the water can be sustained for other uses, such as irrigation and industrial applications. The data presented in this paper is used to evaluate the treatment performance of a roadside biosorption activated media system with regards to the removal of total phosphorus and soluble reactive phosphorus from highway runoff. The evaluation also compares removal efficiencies and effluent concentrations using biosorption activated media (BAM) to that with sandy soil commonly found in the Florida area. The results presented in this paper indicate that BAM bio-filtration systems are a feasible treatment method for removing phosphorus from highway runoff. A discussion concerning the additional treatment and reuse of water by harvesting, as part of a Bio-filtration & Harvesting Swale System, is also presented in the paper.

Integrated planning framework for urban stormwater management: one water approach

“…Recent studies have tested the impacts of different natural and engineered materials on the water quality treatment performance of BSs. Some of the materials tested in these studies include: blast furnace slag, straw wattles, engineered soils, biosorption activated media (BAM), mycorrhizal treatments, and biochar (Hood et al 2013;Melville 2016;Winston et al 2010b;Xiao and McPherson 2011). Hood et al (2013) evaluated the effectiveness of BAM in various BS systems and found that the BSs underlain with BAM could remove 71% of total phosphorous and 95% soluble phosphorous.…”

“…Some of the materials tested in these studies include: blast furnace slag, straw wattles, engineered soils, biosorption activated media (BAM), mycorrhizal treatments, and biochar (Hood et al 2013;Melville 2016;Winston et al 2010b;Xiao and McPherson 2011). Hood et al (2013) evaluated the effectiveness of BAM in various BS systems and found that the BSs underlain with BAM could remove 71% of total phosphorous and 95% soluble phosphorous. assessed the effectiveness of incorporating sand, soil, humus, fly ash, sand, and blast furnace slag as packing materials in BSs for treating various pollutants (NH4-N, NH3-N, TN, SRP, TP, COD, Zn, Cd).…”

Comparison of a modified and traditional rapid infiltration basin for treatment of nutrients in wastewater effluent

“…The study documented the reduction in total dissolved phosphorus and orthophosphate by more than 70% in the modified infiltration basin (O'Reilly, . BAM-modified swales have been studied for highway runoff demonstrating a feasible treatment method for total phosphorus when compared to traditional sandy soil swales with a 78% reduction in concentration (Hood, Chopra, & Wanielista, 2013). Duranceau and Biscardi (2015) compared BAM and alum sludge for their ability to remove phosphorus directly from river water.…”

The influence of external conditions on runoff quality control of grass swale in Beijing and Shenzhen, China

“…The pollutant concentration in stormwater runoff transported into swales can be affected by the presence and degree of longitudinal and side slopes, and the length of grass. Some studies have shown that long swales with gradual slopes remove pollutants more effectively due to the increased time available for settling and the greater number of infiltration sites (Storey et al 2009;Hood et al 2013).…”