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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Optimized Procedure for Determining the Adsorption of Phosphonates onto Granular Ferric Hydroxide using a Miniaturized Phosphorus Determination Method

Optimized Procedure for Determining the Adsorption of Phosphonates onto Granular Ferric Hydroxide using a Miniaturized Phosphorus Determination Method

Published on: May 18, 2018

Capturing phosphates with iron enhanced sand filtration.

Andrew J Erickson¹, John S Gulliver, Peter T Weiss

¹St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2 Third Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA. eric0706@umn.edu

|April 10, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new Minnesota Filter using iron-enhanced sand effectively removes dissolved phosphorus (phosphates) from urban stormwater runoff. This innovative technology significantly improves water quality without negatively impacting filter performance.

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Last Updated: May 23, 2026

Optimized Procedure for Determining the Adsorption of Phosphonates onto Granular Ferric Hydroxide using a Miniaturized Phosphorus Determination Method

Optimized Procedure for Determining the Adsorption of Phosphonates onto Granular Ferric Hydroxide using a Miniaturized Phosphorus Determination Method

Published on: May 18, 2018

Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading

Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading

Published on: March 6, 2014

Measuring Phosphorus Release in Laboratory Microcosms for Water Quality Assessment

Measuring Phosphorus Release in Laboratory Microcosms for Water Quality Assessment

Published on: July 22, 2019

Area of Science:

Environmental Engineering
Water Quality Management
Pollution Control

Background:

Urban runoff contains significant amounts of untreated dissolved phosphorus (phosphates).
Conventional stormwater treatments are ineffective at removing dissolved phosphorus, which comprises a substantial portion of total phosphorus in runoff.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and evaluate a novel stormwater treatment technology, the Minnesota Filter, for enhanced phosphate removal.
To assess the efficacy and hydraulic performance of iron-enhanced sand filters for treating dissolved phosphorus in stormwater.

Main Methods:

A Minnesota Filter, composed of iron filings mixed with sand, was tested for phosphate removal using synthetic stormwater.
Column experiments and field applications were conducted to evaluate phosphate capture efficiency and hydraulic conductivity.
A predictive model was developed and validated using column study data to forecast field performance.

Main Results:

Sand filters with 5% iron filings achieved an average phosphate removal of 88% over a treated depth of 200 m.
The addition of iron filings (≤5% by weight) did not significantly affect the hydraulic conductivity of the sand filter.
Field applications with up to 10.7% iron demonstrated sustained hydraulic conductivity over a year of operation.

Conclusions:

The Minnesota Filter is a highly effective technology for capturing dissolved phosphorus from urban stormwater.
Iron-enhanced sand filters offer a promising solution for improving stormwater quality without compromising hydraulic performance.
The developed model accurately predicts the field performance of these filters, facilitating practical implementation by stormwater managers.