Why Water Quality? FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2013

Transcription

1 Nutrients

2 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From Waste to Gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle of Life Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes Public Assets or Sludge Pits?

3 Why Water Quality? Clean Water Act TMDL Middle aged lakes and waterfront property Drinking Water Treatment Costs Harmful Algae Blooms and Red Tides Ecological Disasters FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2013 EPA Survey Finds More Than Half of the Nation s River and Stream Miles in Poor Condition. - Nitrogen and phosphorus are at excessive levels.

4 Why Water Quality?

5 Nutrient Cycles in Fresh Water

6 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From Waste to Gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle of Life Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes Public Assets or Sludge Pits?

7 Microbes and Biochemical Oxidation of Organic Material

8 Microbes Electron Transfer agents

9 Definitions REDOX reactions transference of electrons Oxidation Pull Electrons away from a substance (increase the oxidation number) Reduction Give Electrons to a substance (reduce the oxidation number) Degradation of organic material is a transfer of electrons (by microbes) from the material to an electron acceptor, like oxygen, nitrate, iron, or sulfate even uranium. e e

10 Oxidation using Oxygen (aerobic) Organic material +O 2 + nutrients H 2 O + CO 2 + nutrients + energy + cells e e The Oxygen is being reduced. The biodegradable material is being oxidized.

11 Oxidation using N0 2 (Anoxic) Organic material + NO 2 cells CO 2 +N 2 + energy and e e

12 Oxidation using Other Electron Acceptors such as Iron (Anaerobic) Organic material + Fe +3 H 2 O + Fe +2 + energy and cells Extremely complex interactions e e

13 Anaerobic Bacteria and Bacterial Remediation Organic material +U(VI)(soluble) =U(IV) (insoluable) + energy and cells Geobacter metallireducens

14 From anaerobic environments to aerobic environmentsthere s a bacteria for that too Sulfur Bacteria H 2 S + O 2 H 2 SO 4 + energy Iron Bacteria Fe++ (Ferrous) + O 2 Fe+++ (Ferric) + energy Leptothrix and Crenothrix deposit Fe(OH) 3 in their sheaths forming yellow or reddish slime Picture courtesy of Patrick Shearer and Kerr Environmental

15 Nutrient Cycles and Re-dox Potential Sediment Condition Anaerobic Anoxic Aerobic Redox Condition Highly Reduced Reduced Moderately Reduced Oxidized Elecron Acceptor CO2 SO42- Fe3+ Mn4+ NO3- O2 Microbial Metabolism Anaerobic Facultative Aerobic Redox Potential

16 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From Waste to Gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle of Life Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes Public Assets or Sludge Pits?

17 Dissolved Oxygen

18 Definitions of Oxygen Demand Parameters CBOD (BOD) Carbonacious biochemical oxygen demand measure of oxygen required to oxidize organic matter. COD Chemical Oxygen Demand NOD Nitrogenious Oxygen Demand SOD Sediment Oxygen Demand

19 Oxygen Demand Biochemical Oxygen Demand Ranges for typical BOD levels in water bodies are: < 5 mg/l in natural, unpolluted waterways mg/l for well-treated sewage mg/l for raw sewage mg/l for urban stormwater run off. CBOD NOD SOD and inorganic matter (reoxidation of reduced electron acceptors of anaerobic respiration processes)

20 Dissolved Oxygen Saturation in Lakes

21 Stratification of a Lake

22 Stratification of a Lake Creates an Environment with low Oxygen

23 Stratification of a Deeper Lake

24 Water Depth (m) Stratification of a Shallow Lake Dissolved Oxygen Profiles for Lake July % Saturated DO

25 Other Substances are used as Oxidants

26 Other Substances are used as Oxidants

27 Eventually Dead Zones

28 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From Waste to Gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle of Life Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes Public Assets or Sludge Pits?

29 Nitrogen Cycle

30 Nitrogen Cycle Total Nitrogen TKN NO2 - NO3 - N2 gas

31 Nitrogen Cycle Total Nitrogen TKN (NH4 +, NH3, Organic N) NO2 - NO3 - N2 gas

32 Nitrogen Cycle AEROBIC CONDITIONS Organic Material NH3 Nitrifying Bacteria NH 3 + O 2 NO energy NO O 2 NO energy Consuming Oxygen: Nitrogenious Oxygen Demand (NOD) Anaerobic Conditions organics + NO CO 2 + N 2 + energy

33 Nutrient Cycle Organic Nitrogen Atmosphere N 2 Ammonia (NH3) organics + NO CO 2 + N 2 + energy Nitrate (NO 3- ) Nitrite (NO 2- ) Nitrifying Bacteria NH 3 + O 2 NO energy NO O 2 NO energy

34 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From Waste to Gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle of Life Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes Public Assets or Sludge Pits?

35 Phosphorus Cycle

36 The Phosphorus Cycle Involves 2 major steps Bacterial conversion of organic P to inorganic Taken up by plants

37 Phosphorus Cycle Organic P Plants Orthophosphate (PO 4 3- )

38 Phosphorus is a non renewable resource Phosphate rock is mined. Only a few countries have control over the P market: China and Morocco are the biggest players with majority of P reserves. Phosphate rock prices are increasing Quality of phosphate rock is declining Peak Phosphorus?

39 The Biggest Problem You Never Heard of Current human use of the key nutrient element phosphorus (P) is unsustainable, as geological and geopolitical uncertainties threaten the P supply for fertilizer production while wasteful use pollutes rivers, lakes and oceans. ASU Sustainable Phosphorus Initiative The majority of the world's agricultural fields today rely on fertilizers derived from inorganic minerals, such as phosphate rock. Phosphate rock is a non-renewable resource that takes million years to form from seabed to uplift and weathering, and current known reserves are likely to be depleted in years. Global Phosphate Initiative

40 Western US Phosphate Project (USGS)

41 Phosphorus - Recycling Struvite Recovery Process Nutrient Recovery by Struvite Crystallization, 2007 Water Environment Federation and ODU research From Analysis of Plant Growth in Stormwater Detention Basin Sludge, Holly Ann Hillard, ODU

42 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From Waste to Gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle of Life Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes Public Assets or Sludge Pits?

43 Algae Photosynthesis nco 2 + nh 2 O + NH 3 + PO Sunlight New Cell growth(ch 2 O) n + no 2 Respiration (CH 2 O) n + no 2 nco 2 +nh 2 O

44 Algae

45 Sulfur Cycle Organic S Sulfate SO4-2 H 2 S Photo-synthetic nonphotosynthetic bacterial oxidation Sulfur S o Photo-Synthetic nonphotosynthetic bacterial oxidation

46 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From waste to gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle that loves to eat Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes public assets or sludge pits?

47 pounds Nutrient and Sediment Storm Loadings 1.1 inch storm can dump ½ lb of P 5 Pounds of N 55 pounds of solids Nutrient Loading from 67 Residential Acres- TSS and Nutrients TN (lb x 10) TSS - lb TP (lb X 100) Cumulative Volume (gal x 100) Flow (GPM) Volume 7:00 7:30 8:00 04/22/2012 9:00 10:00 Cumulative 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00

48 Nutrients Microbes Rulers of the World Microbes and Redox Potential Dissolved Oxygen Nitrogen Cycle From waste to gas Phosphorus Cycle or Recycle Algae The Miracle that loves to eat Stormwater - Loadings and First Flush Urban Lakes public assets or sludge pits?

49 Life of a Lake ALL Lakes age, decline, and disappear eventually Trophic States Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic Hypereutrophic

50 Trophic State

51 Life of a Lake Usually takes a long time, but can age extremely fast Urbanization, deforestation, natural disasters, etc. Fertilizers are a relatively new variable in the environment

52 Conclusion ALL Lakes age. Stormwater lakes age fast. Stormwater is full of oxygen demanding substances and nutrients. Bacteria break down substances and use up O 2. Once O 2 is used up, other bacteria emerge and use other elements to break down substances solubilizing P, creating methane and H 2 S among other things. Excessive nutrients cause excessive algae. Bacteria turn substances into cells, aka sludge. Lakes and ponds that are not maintained become sludge pits. Phosphorus is a non-renewable source and is mined. Recycling of phosphorus is a new process in wastewater plants. Recycling of phosphorus and lake sediments should be further investigated.

53 Lisa Bass, ME, EIT Parsons Brinckerhoff