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LONGEVITY OF BIORETENTION DEPTHS 2.38 MB
Embargoed Access, Embargo ends: 06/28/2092
Thesis
Longevity of bioretention depths for preventing acute toxicity from urban stormwater runoff
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
01/2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000001878
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/120865
Abstract
Urbanization poses increasing threats to aquatic ecosystems including increased chemical loading. The impacts of urbanization on biological integrity are especially evident in the lowland, urban streams of western North America, where adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) returning to spawn in the fall have been prematurely dying at high rates. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of bioretention treatment systems in treating urban stormwater runoff, thereby reducing chemical loading into surface waters, and preventing acutely lethal and sublethal effects to aquatic organisms. The current study aims to determine the effectiveness and longevity of bioretention soil media (BSM) at various infiltration depths, including those shallower than the depth currently required by the Washington Department of Ecology (18”). Experimental columns, containing five different BSM depths, were dosed with roadway runoff at an accelerated rate in order to simulate six water years in approximately 15 calendar months. The chemical and biological effectiveness of the columns in treating runoff was assessed using analytical chemistry and the health of juvenile coho salmon. Bioretention treatment efficiently removed copper, zinc, total PAHs, and total suspended solids (> 70% removal). Although all treatments continued to export nitrates after six accelerated years, the export of nutrients was greatly reduced by the end of the first accelerated year. Influent stormwater runoff was acutely lethal to juvenile coho salmon (88, 90, and 100% mortality in three exposures across the six accelerated years). However, treated effluent stormwater completely prevented coho morality for all bioretention depths and for all three exposures, indicating a continued ability to prevent acute lethal toxicity after six accelerated years of treatment. This study is ongoing and will continue to assess bioretention effectiveness through 10 accelerated years.
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Details
- Title
- Longevity of bioretention depths for preventing acute toxicity from urban stormwater runoff
- Creators
- Lane Wolcott Maguire
- Contributors
- Jenifer K McIntyre (Advisor)Anand Jayakaran (Committee Member)John Stark (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, College of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 128
- Identifiers
- 99900606651201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis