Understanding the role of biofilms and estimation of life-span of a tire derived aggregates-based underground stormwater treatment system.

The importance of biofilm in tire derived aggregates (TDA) based underground systems has been investigated in this paper, to assess the utilization of tire waste as a cost-effective and sustainable resource for stormwater treatment. The primary objective of this study is to look into the role of biofilms in preventing metal leaching from a TDA based stormwater treatment system and to estimate the life span of a TDA based stormwater treatment system. TDA subjected to different influents to promote or limit the growth of biofilms were analyzed for their leaching and adsorption potential for fifteen different metals through 72 flushes, which is representative of roughly 9 years of TDA exposure to storm events in the upper Midwest USA.

Hydrologic processes regulate nutrient retention in stormwater detention ponds.

Managed stormwater ponds are abundant in urban landscapes in much of the world, performing vital but under-studied functions for attenuation of urban runoff and nutrient pollution. Water quality improvements are widely assumed to arise from settling of nutrients and other contaminants bound to particulates, with less consideration of hydrological and biogeochemical processes. To inform improved management of ponds for nutrient retention, we studied three mature urban detention ponds in the Twin Cities, MN, USA using continuous monitoring of pond hydrology and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, coupled with periodic measurement of physiochemical conditions in the ponds.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in soils and groundwater of a U.S. metropolitan area: migration and implications for human exposure.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) are emerging anthropogenic compounds that have recently become the target of global concern due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment, persistence, and bioaccumulative properties. This study was carried out to investigate the migration of PFOS and PFOA in soils and groundwater in a U.S.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) contamination of fish in urban lakes: a prioritization methodology for lake management.

The contamination of urban lakes by anthropogenic pollutants such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a worldwide environmental problem. Large-scale, long-term monitoring of urban lakes requires careful prioritization of available resources, focusing efforts on potentially impaired lakes. Herein, a database of PFOS concentrations in 304 fish caught from 28 urban lakes was used for development of an urban-lake prioritization framework by means of exploratory data analysis (EDA) with the aid of a geographical information system.

Predicting aqueous solubility of environmentally relevant compounds from molecular features: a simple but highly effective four-dimensional model based on Project to Latent Structures.

The aqueous solubility (log S) of xenobiotic chemicals has been identified as a key characteristic in determining their bioaccessibility/bioavailability and their fate and transport in aquatic environments. We here explore and evaluate the use of a state-of-the-art data analysis technique (Project to Latent Structures, PLS) to estimate log S of environmentally relevant chemicals. A large number (n = 624) of molecular descriptors was computed for over 1400 organic chemicals, and then refined by a feature selection technique.

Remediation to improve infiltration into compact soils.

Urban development usually involves soil compaction through converting large pervious land into developed land. This change typically increases runoff during runoff events and consequently may add to flooding and additional volume of runoff. The wash off of pollutants may also create numerous water quality and environmental problems for receiving waters.

Mechanisms for removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) from drinking water by conventional and enhanced coagulation.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) are persistent organic pollutants that have been found to be ubiquitous in the environment. This article, for the first time, delineates removal areas of these polar compounds on a coagulation diagram that associates chemical conditions with different coagulation mechanisms. Variables considered were solution pH, coagulant dosage, coagulants (alum and ferric chloride), natural organic matter (NOM), initial turbidity, and flocculation time.

Review of highway runoff characteristics: comparative analysis and universal implications.

This review interprets highway runoff characterization studies performed on different continents. The results are synthesized to discuss the historical trends, first flush effects of pollutants, pollutant form as dissolved vs. particulate, and to identify surrogate water quality parameters.

Input characterization of perfluoroalkyl substances in wastewater treatment plants: source discrimination by exploratory data analysis.

This paper presents a methodology based on multivariate data analysis for identifying input sources of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) detected in 37 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across more than 40 cities in the state of Minnesota (USA). Exploratory analysis of data points has been carried out by unsupervised pattern recognition (cluster analysis), correlation analysis, ANOVA and per capita discharges in an attempt to discriminate sources of PFASs in WWTPs. Robust cluster solutions grouped the database according to the different PFAS profiles in WWTP influent.

Capturing phosphates with iron enhanced sand filtration.

Most treatment practices for urban runoff capture pollutants such as phosphorus by either settling or filtration while dissolved phosphorus, typically as phosphates, is untreated. Dissolved phosphorus, however, represents an average 45% of total phosphorus in stormwater runoff and can be more than 95%. In this study, a new stormwater treatment technology to capture phosphate, called the Minnesota Filter, is introduced.

Perfluoroalkyl acids in urban stormwater runoff: influence of land use.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent organic pollutants in the environment and have been reported to have nonpoint sources. In this study, six PFAAs with different chain lengths were monitored in stormwater runoff from seven storm events (2009-2011) at various outfall locations corresponding to different watershed land uses. We found PFAA(s) in 100% of stormwater runoff samples.

Effects of monovalent cations on the competitive adsorption of perfluoroalkyl acids by kaolinite: experimental studies and modeling.

Our hypothesis that longer-chained perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) outcompete shorter-chained PFAAs during adsorption was tested in this study, wherein the adsorption interactions of six frequently detected PFAAs with kaolinite clay were modeled and examined experimentally using various suspension compositions. Competitive adsorption of PFAAs on the kaolinite surface was observed for the first time, and longer-chained PFAAs outcompeted those with a shorter chain. The electrostatic repulsion between adsorbed PFAA molecules is a primary inhibitory factor in PFAA adsorption.

An elutriation device to measure particle settling velocity in urban runoff.

Urban runoff is primarily treated by settling particles. One important parameter in the design of these settling basins is particle settling velocity. Yet, this parameter is rarely measured.

Improving suspended sediment measurements by automatic samplers.

Suspended solids either as total suspended solids (TSS) or suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is an integral particulate water quality parameter that is important in assessing particle-bound contaminants. At present, nearly all stormwater runoff quality monitoring is performed with automatic samplers in which the sampling intake is typically installed at the bottom of a storm sewer or channel. This method of sampling often results in a less accurate measurement of suspended sediment and associated pollutants due to the vertical variation in particle concentration caused by particle settling.

Partitioning characteristics of perfluorooctane sulfonate between water and foods.

As a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic organic pollutant, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has been found ubiquitously in the environment, including in tap water. For the first time, we studied PFOS sorption from water to foods (nine commonly consumed vegetables, three meats, and cereals) at two temperatures to estimate the daily intake of PFOS attributable to cooking and food preparation. The values of the food water-distribution coefficient (KF/W, l/kg) of PFOS ranged from 7 to 19 l/kg for most vegetables and from 19 to 38 l/kg for meats.

Gas transfer from air diffusers.

The bubble and surface volumetric mass transfer coefficients for oxygen, k(L)a(b) and k(L)a(s), are separately determined for 179 aeration tests, with diffuser depths ranging from 2.25 to 32 m, using the DeMoyer et al. 12003.

Modeling of phosphorus dynamics in aquatic sediments: II--examination of model performance.

A sediment phosphorus model, describing dynamics of organic phosphorus, dissolved reactive phosphorus and exchangeable particulate phosphorus, is applied to five monitoring stations in Chesapeake Bay, USA, to examine model performance in predicting sediment-water phosphorus exchange. The model was fit to 1 year of field measurements, and verified over 3 years at five sampling stations. The results show that the simulated concentrations of phosphorus reasonably correspond to model mechanisms and field observations in both spatial and temporal variations.

Modeling of phosphorus dynamics in aquatic sediments: I--model development.

A model is developed to study the phosphorus dynamics in aquatic sediments and to conduct dynamic predictions of phosphorus release across a sediment-water interface. The model focuses on the sediment active layer below the sediment-water interface and is based on primary mechanisms regulating phosphorus behavior in sediments, including effective diffusion, bioturbation mixing and burial processes (transport), organic decomposition, sorption kinetic processes and non-linear partitioning (mobilization). The effects of environmental factors such as dissolved oxygen and temperature are taken into account.

Impact of bubble and free surface oxygen transfer on diffused aeration systems.

The primary location of oxygen transfer in a diffused aeration system is examined by separately determining the surface air-water and bubble-water mass transfer coefficients. The mass transfer model developed to determine the mass transfer coefficients advances the McWhirter and Hutter (A.I.