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Trapping Phosphorus in Runoff with a Phosphorus Removal Structure
Author(s) -
Penn Chad J.,
McGrath Joshua M.,
Rounds Elliott,
Fox Garey,
Heeren Derek
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2011.0045
Subject(s) - phosphorus , eutrophication , surface runoff , sorption , alkalinity , environmental science , watershed , hydrology (agriculture) , slag (welding) , hydraulic structure , irrigation , environmental engineering , chemistry , environmental chemistry , nutrient , materials science , geology , geotechnical engineering , metallurgy , agronomy , adsorption , ecology , organic chemistry , machine learning , computer science , biology
Reduction of phosphorus (P) inputs to surface waters may decrease eutrophication. Some researchers have proposed filtering dissolved P in runoff with P‐sorptive byproducts in structures placed in hydrologically active areas with high soil P concentrations. The objectives of this study were to construct and monitor a P removal structure in a suburban watershed and test the ability of empirically developed flow‐through equations to predict structure performance. Steel slag was used as the P sorption material in the P removal structure. Water samples were collected before and after the structure using automatic samples and analyzed for total dissolved P. During the first 5 mo of structure operation, 25% of all dissolved P was removed from rainfall and irrigation events. Phosphorus was removed more efficiently during low flow rate irrigation events with a high retention time than during high flow rate rainfall events with a low retention time. The six largest flow events occurred during storm flow and accounted for 75% of the P entering the structure and 54% of the P removed by the structure. Flow‐through equations developed for predicting structure performance produced reasonable estimates of structure “lifetime” (16.8 mo). However, the equations overpredicted cumulative P removal. This was likely due to differences in pH, total Ca and Fe, and alkalinity between the slag used in the structure and the slag used for model development. This suggests the need for an overall model that can predict structure performance based on individual material properties.