Iron-Enhanced Sand Filtration for Stormwater Phosphorus Removal

Most treatment practices for urban runoff utilize either settling or filtration to remove compounds associated with particulates (e.g., phosphorus) while dissolved substances are typically not captured. Dissolved phosphorus, for example, represents an average of 35-45% of total phosphorus in stormwater but can be more than 95% at some locations. Previous research has shown that a combination of sand filtration with 0.3 to 5% by weight steel wool can capture 34% to 81% dissolved phosphorus (1). In this study, iron filings were tested as an enhancement to sand filtration for removing dissolved phosphorus for synthetic stormwater. Iron filings sand columns capture on average between 35% and 93% dissolved phosphorus, depending on the fraction of iron filings used, which is significantly more than C 33 sand alone. A field application of an iron-enhanced sand filter was installed in Maplewood, Minnesota using approximately 5% iron filings by weight with the purpose of removing both total and dissolved phosphorus from stormwater runoff. A model developed from the column studies is used to predict the phosphorus removal in the field application.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Erickson, Andrew J
  • Gulliver, John S
  • Weiss, Peter T
  • Huser, Brian J
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2010-1-10 to 2010-1-14
• Date: 2010

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: TRB 89th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Drainage; Filtration; Iron; Phosphorus; Runoff; Sand
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sand filters
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01157770
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 10-3962
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 30 2010 7:44AM