Nutrients and suspended solids in dry weather and storm flows from a tropical catchment with various proportions of rural and urban land use

The results of an investigation characterizing the nutrients and suspended solids contained in stormwater from Kranji Catchment in Singapore are reported in this paper. Stormwater samples were collected from 4 locations and analyzed for the following eleven analytes: TOC, DOC, TN, TDN, NH₄⁺, NO₂⁻ + NO₃⁻ (NO_x), TP, TDP, OP, SiO₂ and TSS. Stormwater was sampled from catchments with various proportions of rural and urban land use, including forested areas, grassed areas, agricultural and residential and commercial areas. The event mean concentrations (EMCs) of nutrients and TSS from sampling stations which have agricultural land use activities upstream were found to be higher. Comparison of site EMCs (SMCs) with published data showed that the SMCs of the nutrients and TSS are generally higher than SMCs reported for forested areas but lower than published SMCs for urban areas. Positive correlations (p < 5%) were found between loading and peak flow at locations most impacted by ubanisation or agricultural activities. Correlation between loading and rainfall variables was less distinct. EMC was found to correlate less with rainfall and flow variables compared to pollutant loading. Unlike loading, no consistent pattern exists linking EMC to any particular storm or flow variable in any of the catchments. Lastly, positive correlations were obtained between the particulate forms of nitrogen and phosphorus and TSS.     

Transport of particulate matter fractions in urban source area pavement surface runoff

This study used manual full cross-sectional flow discrete sampling and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) methods to gravimetrically characterize noncolloidal hetero-disperse particulate matter (PM). This PM was examined as suspended, settleable, and sediment fractions to assess the distinct transport behavior of each PM fraction throughout each runoff event. Eight runoff events loading an urban paved source area watershed were examined to characterize transport of PM (as SSC) and fractions thereof. An event-based PM mass balance demonstrated recoveries exceeding 90%. With respect to PM transport, two phases were differentiated using a first flush index (m = DeltaM/DeltaV) developed in this study. The m >/= 1 and m < 1 transport phases of the coarser settleable/sediment PM accounted for a higher mass fraction of PM transported during higher flow rates, whereas delivery of the finer suspended fraction became more significant at lower flows. A positive relationship between PM concentration and particle size distribution was found for all events. Event mean concentrations (EMCs) of PM (as SSC) were compared with literature EMCs, sampling methods, and PM analysis method (as total suspended solids [TSS]). Particulate matter study results (as SSC) were higher than many published EMCs (as TSS) (p < 0.05). Differences are attributed to full cross-sectional flow sampling and the use of the the SSC method in contrast to automated sampling combined with TSS methods. Representative characterization of hetero-disperse source area PM is important for water chemistry monitoring, regulatory decisions, best management practice performance and maintenance, and PM inventories in urban systems.     

Evaluating Cover Crops (Sudex,Sunn Hemp,Oats) for Use as Vegetative Filters to Control Sediment and Nutrient Loading From Agricultural Runoff in a Hawaiian Watershed1

Abstract: A study was conducted to determine the effects of three land covers (sunn hemp –Crotalaria juncea, sudex, a sorghum‐sudangrass hybrid –Sorghum bicolor x S. bicolor var. sudanese, and common oats –Avena sativa) planted as vegetative filter strips on the reduction of sediment and nutrient loading of surface runoff within the Kaika‐Waialua watershed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Runoff samples were collected and analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), phosphorous, and three forms of nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium, total nitrogen). Study results show that during seven out of 10 runoff events, the three cover crop treatments significantly reduced TSS as compared to the fallow treatment. Average removal efficiencies were 85, 77, and 73% for oats, sunn hemp, and sudex, respectively, as compared to the fallow treatment. Nutrient concentrations were low with phosphorous concentrations, lower than 1 (μg/ml) for all treatments, and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations below 7 (μg/ml) except in the sunn hemp treatment, where TN concentrations were less than 10 (μg/ml). Results of analysis of TDS showed that the cover crop treatments did not decrease dissolved solids concentrations in comparison with the fallow treatment. Analysis of nutrient concentrations in runoff samples did not detect any significant decreases in phosphorous, nitrogen, ammonium, or TN concentrations in comparison to the fallow treatment. However, a significant increase in TN concentrations in the sunn hemp treatment was detected and showed the nitrogen fixing capacity of sunn hemp. No treatment effects on runoff volume were detected, and runoff volumes were directly correlated with rainfall amounts showing no crops significantly impacted soil infiltration rates. These results were attributed to extremely low soil hydraulic conductivities (0.0001‐7 cm/day at the soil surface, 15 and 30 cm below the soil surface). This study showed that cover crops planted as vegetative filters can effectively reduce sediment loads coming from idle and fallow fields on moderately steep volcanically derived highly weathered soils.     

Diffuse pollution loading from urban stormwater runoff in Daejeon city, Korea

In this paper, stormwater runoff from an urban watershed with combined sewer systems located in Daejeon metropolitan city, Korea, was characterized to measure the stormwater runoff discharge rates and pollutant concentrations. The observed averaged event mean concentrations (EMCs) of combined sewer overflows (CSO) were 536.1mg TSS/L, 467.7 mg TCODcr/L, 142.7 mg TBOD/L, 16.5mg TN/L, and 13.5mg TP/L. A detention basin was proposed to reduce CSO, and its essential design elements were discussed. The first flush significantly affected contaminant constituents in the descending order of suspended solid>organics>nutrients. Storage volumes for containing the first flush to improve water quality of the receiving stream can be estimated based on the total suspended solid loading. In this study, detention of the first flush equivalent to 5mm of precipitation could reduce CSO-induced diffuse pollution loading to a receiving water body by up to 80% of the total suspended solid loading.     

Sedimentation basin performance at highway construction sites

Sedimentation basins (SBs) are commonly used during highway construction for erosion and sedimentation pollution control as well as for attenuation of overland storm waters. In order to evaluate the sediment removal capacity of these SBs, four basins were selected for monitoring from a new highway construction that extends I-99 to I-80, in Pennsylvania. Between September 2004 and August 2005, ten sampling trips were conducted during which basin inlet and outlet water samples were obtained. The SB samples were analyzed for pH, color, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), total and dissolved iron, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, calcium, sulfate and phosphate. The data showed peaks in concentrations of TSS, total aluminum, total manganese, total iron and total phosphate that closely correlated to localized rainfall peaks. For certain samples, the concentration of TSS in the outlet was higher than the TSS concentration at the basin inlet, suggesting sediment re-suspension. In general SBs managed high flows during wet weather events, but were not effective in capturing particulates. This paper discusses the need for Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the design of SBs that reflect contemporary concerns for management of particle removal and to control the release of particulate-bound metals. This paper also evaluates the water quality impacts of naturally occurring acidic drainages into SBs, as several acidic seeps with pH in the range of 5-6 and having high dissolved concentrations of metals (Fe, Mn, Mg and Ca), sulfate and phosphate were observed draining into the SBs.     

Determining contamination level of heavy metals in road dust from busy traffic areas with different characteristics

This study identified the levels and sources of heavy metal contamination in road dust from busy traffic areas in a typical industrial city in Korea. This study compared the total concentrations, as determined by aqua regia digestions and atomic absorption spectroscopy, of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) in the road dust from areas with different characteristics such as traffic rotaries, downtown areas, circulation roads, and asphalt and concrete highways. The contamination levels of the heavy metals in the road dust were evaluated using the contamination factor and the degree of contamination. The contamination levels of the heavy metals in the road dust were highly dependent on traffic volume and atmospheric dispersion from traffic rotaries. Industrial emissions and the frequency of brake use and vehicles coming to a complete stop were additional factors that affected the contamination levels in downtown areas. The concrete highway had higher contamination levels of the heavy metals than the asphalt highway. Vehicle speed was also a strong contributing factor to the degree of contamination of heavy metals in the road dust from the circulation roads and highways.     

Temporal variability in physical speciation of metals during a winter rain-on-snow event

Particulate matter in urban rivers transports a significant fraction of pollutants, changes rapidly during storm events, and is difficult to characterize. In this study, the physical speciation of trace metals and organic C in an urban river and upstream headwaters site in Torrington, CT, were measured during a winter rain-on-snow event. In addition, a selective fractionation scheme, using membrane and tangential-flow ultrafiltration methods to separate suspended particulate matter into sand, silt, clay, and colloid fractions, was evaluated based on the appropriateness of the chosen size categories. During peak runoff at the urban river site, total-recoverable concentrations of the metals Cu and Pb increased 6- and 13-fold to 16.9 and 9.5 microg L(-1), respectively, compared with baseflow concentrations. Concentrations of Cu and Pb reached only 0.9 and 0.86 microg L(-1) at the headwaters site. For the measured storm event, the majority of metals were transported by the urban river in association with coarse silt (20-80 microm particle diam.) during peak runoff. During peak runoff at the urban site, organic C associated with the large colloid fraction (0.1-1.0 microm) increased from 5% (at baseflow) to 54% of the total C in transport, whereas dissolved organic C and that associated with smaller colloids decreased from 91.5% (at baseflow) to 41% of the total. Other elements that were monitored as part of the study were Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Al, Cd, Cl-, NO3(-), and SO4(2-). The chosen fractionation scheme was useful to characterize pollutant transport during this event, but further testing should be undertaken to determine the most appropriate size range categories, and to ensure that the sizes measured are comparable to those used in other studies.     

An Optimization Method for Estimating Constituent Mean Concentrations in Base Flow‐Dominated Flow

Pollutant coefficients have been widely used to assess runoff nonpoint source pollution from individual land uses (e.g., agricultural, residential) of a watershed. Pollutant coefficients, known as event mean concentrations (EMCs), were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NURP) to serve as a national measure for characterizing pollutant loading in a receiving water body. The term “baseflow pollutant coefficient (BPC)” is used in this study as a surrogate for EMC to describe mean concentration of pollutants in base flow‐dominated flow. A method for characterizing base flow quantity and quality for different land uses was explored using inverse modeling with two optimization techniques (a least square method and a genetic algorithm [GA] optimization), land use information, and streamflow quantity and quality data. The inverse model was formulated as a constrained minimization problem and demonstrated with data for 15 watersheds in Indiana. Results showed that estimated pollutant coefficients are comparable to the published literature. This indicates that the proposed method has the potential to effectively estimate constituent mean concentrations for pollutant load determination in gauged and ungauged watersheds, albeit more analysis with larger and more robust datasets is desirable to further refine and validate the accuracy of the approach.     

Dry Weather Water Quality Loadings in Arid,Urban Watersheds of the Los Angeles Basin,California, USA1

Abstract: Dry weather runoff in arid, urban watersheds may consist entirely of treated wastewater effluent and/or urban nonpoint source runoff, which can be a source of bacteria, nutrients, and metals to receiving waters. Most studies of urban runoff focus on stormwater, and few have evaluated the relative contribution and sources of dry weather pollutant loading for a range of constituents across multiple watersheds. This study assessed dry weather loading of nutrients, metals, and bacteria in six urban watersheds in the Los Angeles region of southern California to estimate relative sources of each constituent class and the proportion of total annual load that can be attributed to dry weather discharge. In each watershed, flow and water quality were sampled from storm drain and treated wastewater inputs, as well as from in‐stream locations during at least two time periods. Data were used to calculate mean concentrations and loads for various sources. Dry weather loads were compared with modeled wet weather loads under a range of annual rainfall volumes to estimate the relative contribution of dry weather load. Mean storm drain flows were comparable between all watersheds, and in all cases, approximately 20% of the flowing storm drains accounted for 80% of the daily volume. Wastewater reclamation plants (WRP) were the main source of nutrients, storm drains accounted for almost all the bacteria, and metals sources varied by constituent. In‐stream concentrations reflected major sources, for example nutrient concentrations were highest downstream of WRP discharges, while in‐stream metals concentrations were highest downstream of the storm drains with high metals loads. Comparison of wet vs. dry weather loading indicates that dry weather loading can be a significant source of metals, ranging from less than 20% during wet years to greater than 50% during dry years.     

Surface and subsurface phosphorus losses from fertilized pasture systems in Ohio

Phosphorus is an essential plant nutrient and critical to agricultural production, but it is also a problem when excessive amounts enter surface waters. Summer rotational grazing and winter feeding beef pasture systems at two fertility levels (56 and 28 kg available P ha(-1)) were studied to evaluate the P losses from these systems via surface runoff and subsurface flow using eight small (0.3-1.1 ha), instrumented watersheds and spring developments. Runoff events from a 14-yr period (1974-1988) were evaluated to determine the relationships between event size in mm, total dissolved reactive phosphorous (TDRP) concentration, and TDRP transport. Most of the TDRP transported was via surface runoff. There were strong correlations (r2 = 0.45-0.66) between TDRP transport and event size for all watersheds, but no significant (P = 0.05) correlations between TDRP concentration and event size. Flow-weighted average TDRP concentrations from the pasture watersheds for the 14-yr period ranged from 0.64 to 1.85 mg L(-1) with a few individual event concentrations as high as 85.7 mg L(-1). The highest concentrations were in events that occurred soon after P fertilizer application. Average seasonal flow-weighted TDRP concentrations for subsurface flow were < 0.05 mg L(-1). Applying P fertilizer to pastures in response to soil tests should keep TDRP concentrations in subsurface flow at environmentally acceptable levels. Management to reduce runoff and avoidance of P fertilizer application when runoff producing rainfall is anticipated in the next few days will help reduce the surface losses of P.     

Upland disturbance affects headwater stream nutrients and suspended sediments during baseflow and stormflow

Because catchment characteristics determine sediment and nutrient inputs to streams, upland disturbance can affect stream chemistry. Catchments at the Fort Benning Military Installation (near Columbus, Georgia) experience a range of upland disturbance intensities due to spatial variability in the intensity of military training. We used this disturbance gradient to investigate the effects of upland soil and vegetation disturbance on stream chemistry. During baseflow, mean total suspended sediment (TSS) concentration and mean inorganic suspended sediment (ISS) concentration increased with catchment disturbance intensity (TSS: R2= 0.7, p = 0.005, range = 4.0-10.1 mg L(-1); ISS: R2= 0.71, p = 0.004, range = 2.04-7.3 mg L(-1)); dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (R2= 0.79, p = 0.001, range = 1.5-4.1 mg L(-1)) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration (R2= 0.75, p = 0.008, range = 1.9-6.2 microg L(-1)) decreased with increasing disturbance intensity; and ammonia (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations were unrelated to disturbance intensity. The increase in TSS and ISS during storms was positively correlated with disturbance (R2= 0.78 and 0.78, p = 0.01 and 0.01, respectively); mean maximum change in SRP during storms increased with disturbance (r = 0.7, p = 0.04); and mean maximum change in NO3- during storms was marginally correlated with disturbance (r = 0.58, p = 0.06). Soil characteristics were significant predictors of baseflow DOC, SRP, and Ca2+, but were not correlated with suspended sediment fractions, any nitrogen species, or pH. Despite the largely intact riparian zones of these headwater streams, upland soil and vegetation disturbances had clear effects on stream chemistry during baseflow and stormflow conditions.     

Groundwater characterization in major industrial and residential locations of Lagos metropolis

This study investigated the quality of groundwater collected from two industrial and residential locations, each within the Lagos metropolis. Prescribed standard procedures of the American Public Health Association (APHA) were used to measure the physicochemical parameters of each of the groundwater samples, which include pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids (TDS), biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand; the anions chloride (Cl^?), nitrate (NO₃^?), sulfate (SO₄^?), and phosphate (PO₄^?); and heavy metals copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr). Based on the laboratory analysis, the physicochemical parameters that were measured were within the permissible ranges specified by the World Health Organization and the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), except for pH, TDS, EC, Pb, Mn, and Fe for groundwater samples from the industrial locations and for pH, Pb, Mn, and Fe for residential locations. The elevated concentrations of TDS and EC reported for groundwater samples from industrial locations were attributed to the heavy discharge of effluents from nearby industrial treatment plants as well as the dissolution of ionic heavy metals from industrial activities involving the use of heavy machines. Statistical analysis using Pearson's correlation revealed the physicochemical parameters to be moderately and strongly correlated with one another at either p < .05 or < .01. In conclusion, groundwater samples from residential locations are more suitable for drinking than those from industrial locations.     

FACTORS INFLUENCING ACUTE TOXICfrY OF COAL ASH TO RAINBOW TROUT (SALMO GAIRDNERI) AND BLUEGILL SUNFISH (LEPOMIS MACROCHIRUS)1

ABSTRACT: The potentially toxic components in coal ash (ash particles, heavy metals) were evaluated in laboratory static, acute (96 hr) bioassays, both separately and in various combinations with extreme pH (5.0 and 8.5), using rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and bluegifi sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Ash particle morphology and metal distribution anlaysis, using electron microscopy and surface-subsurface analysis by ion microscopy, showed that metals could be either clumped or evenly distributed on the surface of fly ash. Surface enrichment on fly ash particles from electrostatic precipitators, as measured by ion microscopy, was found for cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, lead, mercury, titanium, arsenic, and selenium. Bottom (heavy) ash was not acutely toxic to either fish species at concentrations of up to 1500 mg/l total suspended solids (TSS) at pH 5.0, 7.5, or 8.5. Fly ash particles were not acutely toxic to blue-gill at levels up to 1360 mg/l TSS. Rainbow trout were highly sensitive to fly ash (25 to 60 percent mortality) at concentrations of 4.3 to 20.5 mg/I TSS when dissolved metal availability was high but were not sensitive at higher particulate concentrations (58 to 638 mg/I TSS) when dissolved metals were low. When metals were acid-leached from fly ash prior to testing, no rainbow trout mortality occurred at TSS concentrations of up to 2,350 mg/l TSS. When the percent of dissolved metal was high (e.g., 50–90 percent of the total), fish mortality was increased. Rainbow trout were nearly two orders of magnitude more sensitive than bluegill when subjected to a blend of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc. The two species were similar in their acute sensitivity to acidic pH at levels at or below 4.0 and alkaline pH of 9.1. If the pH of coal ash effluent is contained within the range 6.0 to 9.0, acute toxicity to fish can be attributed to trace element availability from fly ash but not heavy ash. Control of holding pond and effluent pH and maximizing pond residence time are important strategies for minimizing effects of ash pond discharges on fish.     

Land management impacts on dairy-derived dissolved organic carbon in ground water

Dairy operations have the potential to elevate dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels in ground water, where it may interact with organic and inorganic contaminants, fuel denitrification, and may present problems for drinking water treatment. Total and percent bioavailable DOC and total and carbon-specific trihalomethane (THM) formation potential (TTHMFP and STHMFP, respectively) were determined for shallow ground water samples from beneath a dairy farm in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Sixteen wells influenced by specific land management areas were sampled over 3 yr. Measured DOC concentrations were significantly elevated over the background as measured at an upgradient monitoring well, ranging from 13 to 55 mg L(-1) in wells downgradient from wastewater ponds, 8 to 30 mg L(-1) in corral wells, 5 to 12 mg L(-1) in tile drains, and 4 to 15 mg L(-1) in wells associated with manured fields. These DOC concentrations were at the upper range or greatly exceeded concentrations in most surface water bodies used as drinking water sources in California. DOC concentrations in individual wells varied by up to a factor of two over the duration of this study, indicating a dynamic system of sources and degradation. DOC bioavailability over 21 d ranged from 3 to 10%, comparable to surface water systems and demonstrating the potential for dairy-derived DOC to influence dissolved oxygen concentrations (nearly all wells were hypoxic to anoxic) and denitrification. TTHMFP measurements across all management units ranged from 141 to 1731 microg L(-1), well in excess of the maximum contaminant level of 80 microg L(-1) established by the Environmental Protection Agency. STHMFP measurements demonstrated over twofold variation ( approximately 4 to approximately 8 mmol total THM/mol DOC) across the management areas, indicating the dependence of reactivity on DOC composition. The results indicate that land management strongly controls the quantity and quality of DOC to reach shallow ground water and hence should be considered when managing ground water resources and in any efforts to mitigate contamination of ground water with carbon-based contaminants, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals.     

Coupling PCSWMM and WASP to Evaluate Green Stormwater Infrastructure Impacts to Storm Sediment Loads in an Urban Watershed

We coupled rainfall–runoff and instream water quality models to evaluate total suspended solids (TSS) in Wissahickon Creek, a mid‐sized urban stream near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Using stormwater runoff and instream field data, we calibrated the model at a subdaily scale and focused on storm responses. We demonstrate that treating event mean concentrations as a calibration parameter rather than a fixed input can substantially improve model performance. Urban stormwater TSS concentrations vary widely in time and space and are difficult to represent simply. Suspended and deposited sediment pose independent stressors to stream biota and model results suggest that both currently impair stream health in Wissahickon Creek. Retrofitting existing detention basins to prioritize infiltration reduced instream TSS loads by 20%, suggesting that infiltration mitigates sediment more effectively than detention. Infiltrating stormwater from 30% of the watershed reduced instream TSS loads by 47% and cut the frequency of TSS exceeding 100 mg/L by half. Settled loads and the frequency of high TSS values were reduced by a smaller fraction than suspended loads and duration at high TSS values. A widely distributed network of infiltration‐focused projects is an effective stormwater management strategy to mitigate sediment stress. Coupling rainfall–runoff and water quality models is an important way to integrate watershed‐wide impacts and evaluate how management directly affects urban stream health.     

Impacts of Climate Variability and Land Use Alterations on Frequency Distributions of Terrestrial Runoff Loading to Coastal Waters in Southern California1

Abstract: The transport of water, sediment, dissolved and particulate chemicals, and bacteria from coastal watersheds affects the nearshore marine and estuarine waters. In southern California, coastal watersheds deliver water and associated constituents to the nearshore system in discrete pulses. To better understand the pulsed nature of these watersheds, frequency distributions of simulated runoff events are presented for: (1) three land use conditions (1929, 1998, 2050); (2) three time periods (all water years 1989‐2002), only El Nino years (1992, 1993, 1995, 1998); and only non‐El Nino years; and (3) three regions (watershed, uplands, and lowlands). At the watershed scale, there was a significant increase (>200%) in mean event runoff from 1929 to 2050 (0.4‐1.3 cm) due to localized urbanization, which shifted the dominant sources of runoff from the mountains in 1929 (78% of watershed runoff) to the coastal plane for 2050 conditions (51% of watershed runoff). Inter‐annual climate variability was strong in the rainfall and runoff frequency distributions, with mean event rainfall and runoff 66 and 60% larger in El Nino relative to non‐El Nino years. Combining urbanization and climate variability, 2050 land conditions resulted in El Nino years being five times more likely to produce large (>3.0 cm) runoff events relative to non‐El Nino years. Combining frequency distributions of event runoff with regional nutrient export relationships, we show that in El Nino years, one in five events produced runoff ≥2.5 cm and temporary nearshore nitrate and phosphate concentrations of 12 and 1.4 μM, respectively, or approximately 5‐10 times above ambient conditions.     

Use of Microbial Community to Evaluate Performance of a Wetland System in Treating Pb/Zn Mine Drainage

The performance of a wetland system in treating lead (Pb)/zinc (Zn) mine drainage was evaluated by using the polyurethane foam unit (PFU) microbial community (method), which has been adopted by China as a standardized procedure for monitoring water quality. The wetland system consisted of four cells with three dominant plants: Typha latifolia, Phragmites australis and Paspalum distichum. Physicochemical characteristics [pH, EC, content of total suspended solid (TSS) and metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cu)] and PFU microbial community in water samples had been investigated from seven sampling sites. The results indicated that the concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, and TSS in the mine drainage were gradually reduced from the inlet to the outlet of the wetland system and 99%, 98%, 75%, 83%, and 68% of these metals and TSS respectively, had been reduced in concentration after the drainage passed through the wetland system. A total of 105 protozoan species were identified, the number of protozoa species and the diversity index (DI) gradually increased, while the heterotrophic index (HI) gradually decreased from the inlet to the outlet of the wetland system. The results indicated that DI, HI, and total number species of protozoa could be used as biological indicators indicating the improvement of water quality.     

BUILDUP,WASHOFF, AND EVENT MEAN CONCENTRATIONS1

ABSTRACT: Most watershed water quality simulation models require the user to specify pollutant buildup and washoff rate parameters for pollutants, by land use. Buildup and washoff rates are difficult to measure directly, and only limited guidance and few observed data are available from the literature. Many studies, however, report storm event mean concentrations (EMCs). These EMCs must arise as a result of the buildup and washoff processes, but typically represent the net contribution from a variety of pervious and impervious surfaces. This paper explores the relationship between EMCs and buildup/washoff parameters. An assumption of the mathematical form of the buildup/washoff relationship gives an algebraic expression for the EMC consistent with model assumptions. This yields techniques to separate observed EMCs into contributions from different land uses and from pervious and impervious surfaces. Given this relationship, numerical optimization may be used to estimate site specific values of buildup and washoff parameters from observed storm EMCs for use in modeling. Use of this approach helps ensure that model parameters are consistent with observed data, providing a rational starting point for final model calibration. Several site examples demonstrate use of the method.     

Simazine runoff from citrus orchards affected by shallow mechanical incorporation

Simazine (6-chloro-N,N'-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) losses via runoff in California are a potential source of environmental contamination because simazine is widely used for weed control during the rainy season from November to March. This study was conducted in two citrus orchards from three rainfall events to evaluate the effects of shallow mechanical incorporation on simazine losses in runoff during the winter. Simazine losses in runoff were compared between row middles that were either undisturbed, the normal orchard practice, or subjected to shallow mechanical incorporation. Mechanical incorporation of row middles significantly reduced runoff volumes by approximately 45 and 28% for the first and second runoff events, respectively. In undisturbed plots, simazine concentrations in runoff from the first runoff event ranged from 0.62 to 0.73 mg L(-1); then simazine concentrations rapidly decreased (0.03-0.35 mg L(-1)) from the second and third runoff events. In disturbed plots, simazine concentrations in runoff from the first runoff event ranged from 0.21 to 0.24 mg(-1), but simazine concentrations remained relatively constant between the three runoff events. Total mass recoveries of simazine in runoff ranged from 1.93 to 2.97% and from 0.70 to 0.74% of application from the undisturbed plots and from the disturbed plots, respectively. Low water infiltration rate inhibited surface-applied herbicide incorporation into the soil matrix with natural rainfall in compacted soils. Mechanical incorporation of row middles significantly reduced runoff volumes, simazine concentrations, and mass losses in runoff after application.     

Evaluation of seasonal scale first flush pollutant loading and implications for urban runoff management

This study investigated how the occurrence and magnitude of first flush events in stormwater may influence the effective management of urban runoff pollution. To facilitate the understanding of the first flush phenomenon on a seasonal scale, the City of San Jose, CA carried out an investigation between May 1997 and April 2000 to characterize concentrations of pollutants in local waterbodies during eight storm events. The purpose of the investigation was twofold: (1) To determine if concentrations of specific constituents in stormwater runoff are elevated during the first substantial storm of the wet season, and (2) To identify the physical and environmental conditions surrounding such events. Concentration data for total and dissolved metals, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, anions, total suspended solids, total organic carbon, conductivity, gasoline and diesel, and volatile and semi-volatile organics were collected at over 25 sites. Monitoring data analysis focused on identifying physical and environmental conditions yielding increased levels of pollutants during the first substantial storms of the rainy season compared to other storm events. Quantitative analysis focused on metals and anions because most observations for other constituents were below detectable levels. The results suggest that first flush phenomena did not occur consistently throughout most of the stations investigated. The results further suggest that there are specific combinations of site and storm conditions that result in a first flush effect with respect to dissolved metals. Based on the results of this and related investigations, implications for urban runoff management are discussed. For example, if dissolved metals are of principal concern, it may be worthwhile to optimize existing control strategies to minimize pollutant loading from storms that are preceded by an extended dry period.