The Seasonality of Nutrients and Sediment in Stormwater Runoff from Residential Sewersheds in Columbus, Ohio
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Date
2019-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The discharge of excess nutrients to surface waters is a societal challenge because they cause algal blooms and hypoxia, resulting in degraded water quality, reduced and contaminated fisheries, threats to potable water supplies, and decreases in tourism, cultural activities, and coastal economies. An understanding of the urban contribution to nutrient loading is needed, and, more broadly the seasonality in nutrient concentrations and loads needs further analysis since algal blooms and hypoxia are seasonal in nature and are most impacted nutrients in runoff during spring. This study quantifies the variation of nutrients in stormwater runoff due to seasonal changes from four urban residential sewersheds located in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. Stormwater samples were collected using automated samplers during stormflow and analyzed for pollutants, including dissolved and particulate nutrients. Total nitrogen concentrations were significantly (a = 0.05) higher in the spring when compared to the summer and fall. Significant seasonal variations in total phosphorus (TP) concentrations were observed at three of the four sewersheds, with fall and spring concentrations greater than those in summer. Among the ten highest total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations observed from September 2016 to December 2018, seven occurred in the spring, two during the summer, and one in the fall. Causes for seasonality include fertilizer application in the spring, sodic soils following winter deicing salt applications, and the breakdown of vegetation in the autumn. Since seasonality of concentrations, but not loads was observed, future research efforts should to be focused on not only understanding how urban concentrations and loads impact algal blooms, but also developing improved management of landscapes and stormwater during critical
periods. Improved designs for stormwater control measures will help to abate pollutants in stormwater runoff from urban areas, improving the quality of surface waters worldwide.
Description
3rd place at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum in the Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Sciences category
Keywords
seasonal variation, nutrients, sewersheds, water quality, emerging contaminants, sediment