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Published on: May 15, 2017
Influence of urban runoff pollutant first flush strength on bioretention pollutant removal performance
Wei Zhang1, Kexin Tao2, Huichao Sun2
1Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China E-mail: weizhang021@163.com; Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China; Beijing Energy Conservation & Sustainable Urban and Rural Development Provincial and Ministry Co-construction Collaboration Innovation Center, Beijing 100044, China.
Abstract:
Bioretention is commonly used for runoff pollution control. The first flush strength of pollutants can affect bioretention performance. To examine the influence of the first flush strength on bioretention performance, bioretention columns filled with garden soil as the main media were established. Activated carbon and water treatment residuals (WTR) were added and compared for their ability to enhance phosphorus removal. Waste edible fungus culture medium (WEFCM) as a carbon source was also explored. When WEFCM was used as a carbon source instead of wood chips, total nitrogen (TN) removal increased from 60.83 ± 21.22 to 62.21 ± 16.43%, but chemical oxygen demand (COD) leaching was observed. WTR was better able than activated carbon to enhance phosphorus removal (87.97 ± 8.87 vs. 81.66 ± 9.27%) without impacting TN removal. NH4+-N removal increased with increasing first flush strength, but there was no trend for suspended solids (SS), COD, TN, or total phosphorus. First leaching phenomenon in bioretention outflow was proposed in this study. A low first leaching was observed in the outflow when the inflow had a uniform pollutant mass (i.e., no first flush) because of media leaching. A weak first leaching outflow was observed for SS and COD when they were present at strong first flush inflow.
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