Evaluating nutrient impacts in urban watersheds: Challenges and research opportunities

Carey, Richard O.; Hochmuth, George; Martinez, Christopher J.; Boyer, Treavor H.; Dukes, Michael D.; Toor, Gurpal S.; Cisar, John O.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2012.10.004

Cited by 165 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 119 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This results in increased runoff rates and volumes, reduced infiltration, groundwater recharge, and baseflow to urban streams [6,7]. The altered hydrology then causes environmental impacts [8], including downstream flooding [9], streambank erosion and stream downcutting [4,9,10]; declining water quality due to increases in sediment, nutrients, and heavy metals [11,12], and a decline in aquatic biota [13]. The hydrologic patterns before and after development are conceptually illustrated in Figure 1, adapted from [14].…”

Section: Urban Stormwater Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review and Research Needs of Bioretention Used for the Treatment of Urban Stormwater

Liu

Sample

Bell

et al. 2014

Water

211

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The continued development of urban areas in recent decades has caused multiple issues affecting the sustainability of urban drainage systems. The increase of impervious surface areas in urban regions alters watershed hydrology and water quality. Typical impacts to downstream hydrologic regimes include higher peak flows and runoff volumes, shorter lag times, and reduced infiltration and base flow. Urban runoff increases the transport of pollutants and nutrients and thus degrades water bodies downstream from urban areas. One of the most frequently used practices to mitigate these impacts is bioretention. Despite its widespread use, research on bioretention systems remains active, particularly in terms of mix design and nitrogen treatment. Recent research focusing on bioretention is reviewed herein. The use of mesocosms provides the ability to isolate particular treatment processes and replicate variability. Computational models have been adapted and applied to simulate bioretention, offering potential improvements to their operation, maintenance, and design. Maintenance practices are important for sustained operation and have also been reviewed. Predicting maintenance is essential to assessing lifecycle costs. Within these research areas, gaps are explored, and recommendations made for future work.

show abstract

Section: Urban Stormwater Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review and Research Needs of Bioretention Used for the Treatment of Urban Stormwater

Liu

Sample

Bell

et al. 2014

Water

211

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Those environments are such good places for ecological studies, not only because of the spatial and temporal variations of biotic and abiotic processes, but also because they are considered as the most degraded environments due the coastal urban development, which leads to aquatic eutrophication (MATOS et al, 2011;CAREY et al, 2013;WILD-ALLEN et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and seasonal variation of microphytoplankton community and the correlation with environmental parameters in a hypereutrophic tropical estuary - Maranhão - Brazil

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Duarte-dos-Santos et al.: Spatial-seasonal variation of microphytoplankton 356 Spatial and seasonal variation of microphytoplankton community and the correlation with environmental parameters in a hypereutrophic tropical estuary -Maranhão -BrazilThe Bacanga River Estuary has a hydrodynamic behavior and its tidal flow is limited by a dam. It is considered as a hypertrophic environment that receives daily high loads of domestic sewage without treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial and temporal variation of phytoplankton community and its relationship with environmental parameters. Bi-monthly sampling campaigns were carried out at six fixed sites between 2012 and 2013. Physical-chemical and biological parameters were collected (chlorophyll a, phytoplankton composition and abundance) to perform the statistical correlations. The results indicate that phytoplankton community is mostly represented by diatoms, with Skeletonema costatum being the dominant species responsible for bloom in April and June of 2012. The dominance of this species is related to the high silicate concentrations, pH and turbidity. Other blooms events as well as the Euglena gracilis and Chlamydomonas sp. were recorded in February 2013, when the total phosphorus concentrations were high and the dissolved oxygen concentrations were higher. Dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria and diatom Thallassiosira sp. were widely distributed in the dry period and highly correlated with salinity, water transparency and nutrients. Hence, the distribution of phytoplankton community is more defined seasonally, rather than spatially. AbstrActDescriptors: Algal bloom, Microalgae, Nutrients.O estuário do rio Bacanga apresenta um comportamento hidrodinâmico com fluxo de marés limitado por uma barragem. Ele é considerado como um ambiente hipereutrófico que recebe diariamente altas cargas de esgoto doméstico sem tratamento. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a variação espaço-sazonal da comunidade fitoplanctônica e suas relações com parâmetros ambientais. Amostragens bimestrais foram realizadas em seis pontos fixos entre 2012 e 2013, obtendo valores dos parâmetros físico-químicos e biológicos (clorofila a, composição e abundância do fitoplâncton) para realização das análises estatísticas. Os resultados indicam que a comunidade fitoplanctônica é representada por diatomáceas, sendo Skeletonema costatum a espécie dominante responsável por pulsos de florações em abril e junho de 2012. O predomínio dessa espécie está relacionado aos elevados teores de silicato, pH e turbidez da água. Outros eventos de florações como da Euglena gracilis e Chlamydomonas sp. foram registrados em fevereiro de 2013, quando os teores de fósforo total estiveram elevados e as taxas de oxigênio dissolvido foram superiores. Os dinoflagelados, cianobactérias e a diatomácea Thallassiosira sp. apresentaram ampla distribuição no período de estiagem e estão altamente correlacionados com a salinidade, transparência da água e nutrientes. Desta forma, a distribuição da comunidade fitoplanctônica é ...

show abstract

“…Infrastructure is a defining feature of the urban landscape. Roads, drainage networks, sewers and septic systems introduce new geometries and land cover surfaces into the urban spatial structure [26,32,33] with consequences for hydrologic flows, nutrient cycling and aquatic ecosystems [16,17,29,34]. While it is clear that the degree of human impact on the landscape depends on the level and pattern of urban development, it is not clear what role wastewater infrastructure plays in mediating the impacts of urbanization on ecosystem functioning.…”

Section: Patterns Of Wastewater Infrastructurementioning

confidence: 95%

“…Despite this improvement, sewage and non-point sources of pollution continue to be leading causes of coastal contamination [9,14,15]. Studies identify pollutants from failing septic tanks, leaky sewer pipes, wastewater treatment plants and domestic and wild animal feces in stormwater run-off [16][17][18]. Efforts to formulate prevention measures are complicated by disagreements over leading stressors at the watershed scale.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Wastewater Infrastructure along a Gradient of Coastal Urbanization: A Study of the Puget Sound Region

Spirandelli

2015

Land

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The aim of this paper is to explore patterns of wastewater infrastructures (sewers vs. septic tanks) in urbanizing watersheds across a coastal metropolitan region. This research combines an urban-rural gradient with spatial metrics at the patch and watershed scale (proportion of parcels on a treatment system, septic density, lot size and percent imperviousness) to analyze wastewater patterns in the Puget Sound, WA, USA. Results show that most urban residential parcels are hooked up to a sewer, although there remain urban residences on a septic tank with small lots. I find a complex arrangement of wastewater treatment in suburban watersheds representing a patchwork of parcels on sewers and septic tanks. Sewers dominate in total numbers, while the density of septic tanks is highest in this portion of the urban gradient. Lot size decreases from rural to urban; however, it varies depending on the type of wastewater treatment system. In urban watersheds, lots on septic tanks are significantly smaller than lots in suburban and rural watersheds and of a similar size compared to lots on sewers. I also find a significant difference in the amount of impervious surfaces in watersheds dominated by sewers vs. septic tanks. In the urban portion of the gradient, the amount of paved surfaces in parcels with septic tanks is also similar in level as parcels with sewers. I discuss how these patterns emerge from the interplay of biophysical, socio-economic and technological factors and how different regulatory regimes for septic tanks and sewers may further induce these patterns.

show abstract

Evaluating nutrient impacts in urban watersheds: Challenges and research opportunities

Cited by 165 publications

References 119 publications

Review and Research Needs of Bioretention Used for the Treatment of Urban Stormwater

Review and Research Needs of Bioretention Used for the Treatment of Urban Stormwater

Spatial and seasonal variation of microphytoplankton community and the correlation with environmental parameters in a hypereutrophic tropical estuary - Maranhão - Brazil

Patterns of Wastewater Infrastructure along a Gradient of Coastal Urbanization: A Study of the Puget Sound Region

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About