Bioretention is an increasingly common stormwater control measure (SCM) for mitigation of stormwater quantity and quality. Studies from lab to field scale have shown successful removal of total metals from stormwater, especially Cu and Zn which are ubiquitous in the urban environment yet detrimental to aquatic ecosystems. While bioretention effectively removes particulate matter and particulate bound (PB) contaminants, removal performance of dissolved metals has been neglected in field studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWastewater surveillance, also known as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), has been successfully used to detect SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses in sewage in many locations in the United States and globally. This includes implementation of the surveillance on college and university campuses. A two-phase study was conducted during the 2020-2021 academic year to test the feasibility of a WBE system on campus and to supplement the clinical COVID-19 testing performed for the student, staff, and faculty body.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStormwater from complex land uses is an important contributor of contaminants of concern (COCs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), Copper, and Zinc to receiving water bodies. A large portion of these COCs bind to particulate matter in stormwater, which can be removed through filtration by traditional media. However, the remaining dissolved COCs can be significant and require special attention such as engineered treatment measures and media.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh COVID-19 mortality among Black communities heightened the pandemic's devastation. In the state of Louisiana, the racial disparity associated with COVID-19 mortality was significant; Black Americans accounted for 50% of known COVID-19-related deaths while representing only 32% of the state's population. In this paper, we argue that structural racism resulted in a synergistic framework of cumulatively negative determinants of health that ultimately affected COVID-19 deaths in Louisiana Black communities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreases in urbanization have led to increased stormwater runoff and mobilization of pollutants from urban watersheds. Discharge of these pollutants often leads to contamination of receiving water bodies. Chemical characterization of urban stormwater is necessary to gain deeper insights into the ecological impacts of urban runoff and to evaluate parameters that influence possible treatment technologies.
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