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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
08:49
Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff
Published on: May 15, 2017
Nitrogen removal from urban stormwater runoff through layered bioretention columns
Chi-hsu Hsieh1, Allen P Davis, Brian A Needelman
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
Summary
Bioretention systems effectively treat urban stormwater runoff. Media layering significantly impacts nitrogen removal, with specific configurations enhancing ammonium capture and potentially promoting nitrification/denitrification.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Quality Management
- Soil Science
Background:
- Bioretention is a key low-impact development (LID) strategy for managing urban stormwater runoff.
- Understanding nitrogen cycling within bioretention systems is crucial for optimizing their performance.
- Simulated urban runoff was used to investigate nitrogen compound fate in bioretention media.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the immediate nitrogen capture and transformation in bioretention columns.
- To compare the effectiveness of different media-layering configurations on nitrogen removal.
- To identify optimal media designs for enhanced nitrogen processing in bioretention.
Main Methods:
- Two bioretention columns (RP1 and RP2) with distinct media layering were subjected to simulated urban runoff.
- Nitrogen removal efficiency was assessed by analyzing influent and effluent concentrations.
- Nitrogen transformation reactions during drying periods between loading events were investigated.
Main Results:
- Bioretention column RP2, with a high-permeability layer over a low-permeability layer, removed significantly more ammonium (68%) than RP1 (12%).
- Both systems exhibited nitrate export, with RP2 exporting more (54% greater than input) than RP1 (9% greater than input).
- Nitrification processes during drying periods contributed to nitrate formation and subsequent washout.
Conclusions:
- Bioretention media layering critically influences nitrogen fate, particularly ammonium removal.
- A configuration with a less permeable bottom layer can create anoxic zones, facilitating nitrification and denitrification.
- Optimized media design in bioretention is essential for effective nitrogen management in urban stormwater treatment.
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