TY - GEN
T1 - Assessing BMP performance using Microtox toxicity analysis
AU - Komlos, John
AU - Rowe, Amy
AU - Clark, Shirley
AU - Traver, Robert
AU - Stinson, Mary
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been shown to be effective in reducing runoff and pollutants from urban areas and thus provide a mechanism to improve downstream water quality. Currently, BMP performance regarding water quality improvement is assessed through measuring each individual contaminant of concern at different locations throughout the BMP to quantify the magnitude of loss of each contaminant. Cumulative pollutant removal from these sampling locations is often used to determine the BMP water quality performance. The research presented herein examines the ability of using toxicity (Microtox toxicity analysis) to assess the overall improvement of water quality in a BMP. Two BMPs will be discussed in this analysis; a rain garden used to treat parking lot runoff and a subsurface catchment (bioinfiltration trench) collecting runoff from a parking garage. Both sites were monitored during storm events for a variety of water quality parameters (i.e. copper, lead, chromium, TSS) and compared to concurrent Microtox toxicity analysis from each storm. Sampling occurred at influent, surface water, and effluent (overflow) locations. Pore water samples were also collected (via lysimeters) at various depths below the two BMPs. Results show a decrease in toxicity as the water passed through the BMPs (although the extent of toxicity reduction varied for each BMP). Therefore, the Microtox toxicity assay can be used to assess water quality improvement resulting from BMP treatment. These BMPs removed a variety of metals as well as other water quality pollutants. However, toxicity reduction could not be attributed to the removal of any one particular contaminant.
AB - Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been shown to be effective in reducing runoff and pollutants from urban areas and thus provide a mechanism to improve downstream water quality. Currently, BMP performance regarding water quality improvement is assessed through measuring each individual contaminant of concern at different locations throughout the BMP to quantify the magnitude of loss of each contaminant. Cumulative pollutant removal from these sampling locations is often used to determine the BMP water quality performance. The research presented herein examines the ability of using toxicity (Microtox toxicity analysis) to assess the overall improvement of water quality in a BMP. Two BMPs will be discussed in this analysis; a rain garden used to treat parking lot runoff and a subsurface catchment (bioinfiltration trench) collecting runoff from a parking garage. Both sites were monitored during storm events for a variety of water quality parameters (i.e. copper, lead, chromium, TSS) and compared to concurrent Microtox toxicity analysis from each storm. Sampling occurred at influent, surface water, and effluent (overflow) locations. Pore water samples were also collected (via lysimeters) at various depths below the two BMPs. Results show a decrease in toxicity as the water passed through the BMPs (although the extent of toxicity reduction varied for each BMP). Therefore, the Microtox toxicity assay can be used to assess water quality improvement resulting from BMP treatment. These BMPs removed a variety of metals as well as other water quality pollutants. However, toxicity reduction could not be attributed to the removal of any one particular contaminant.
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U2 - 10.1061/41114(371)330
DO - 10.1061/41114(371)330
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:77954967172
SN - 9780784411148
T3 - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2010: Challenges of Change - Proceedings of the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2010
SP - 3209
EP - 3217
BT - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2010
T2 - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2010: Challenges of Change
Y2 - 16 May 2010 through 20 May 2010
ER -