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Tamkin Dissertation ETD submit2.pdf (2.54 MB)

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Assessment of Bioretention Performance for Hydrology and Hydrocarbons

Tamkin, Abigail
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555580019531945

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
Bioretention is an increasingly prevalent green infrastructure practice for urban and suburban stormwater management. While research has shown the ability of this technology to reduce stormwater volume and improve stormwater quality, there is a gap in knowledge regarding long term performance. Additionally, hydrocarbons are an important but understudied stormwater pollutant. Column studies indicate bioretention is an effective treatment technology for reducing hydrocarbons in stormwater flows, but there is limited research confirming this performance in field settings. To address both of these concerns, simultaneous studies were performed evaluating the hydrological performance and hydrocarbon removal of a bioretention cell six years post installation. Nine simulated storms (3.5 mm equivalent storm) were conducted, with eight of those sampled for hydrocarbon concentrations. Despite an apparent increase in preferential flow as indicated by rapid bromide tracer breakthrough and accelerated water table response rates, there was no significant difference in volume reduction between 2011 (average 53%) measurements and those done in this study (2015-2016: average 69%), after accounting for runoff volume differences. These results indicate continued effective operation of this facility, at least during small events. The effective operation was possibly due to location (suburban neighborhood) and maintenance (~monthly sediment removal). Hydrocarbon mass reductions in bioretention tests (83%), measured as total petroleum hydrocarbons, were similar to other studies while concentration reductions were lower (53%), possibly due to low input concentrations (0.58 mg/L). Hydrocarbon concentrations in the soil were higher in the upslope cell, indicating historical accumulations. However, within each cell, concentrations did not vary significantly over the year of study, indicating steady state conditions iv and no accumulation during the period of study. Comparisons of hydrocarbon concentrations in bioretention soil to previous studies were complicated by differences in analytical methods (extraction solvent and method). These differences suggest a need for consistency in hydrocarbon quantification methods, particularly when used for assessment of accumulation in bioretention. Towards this need for method consistency and the effect of weathering on hydrocarbon quantification, chapter three had two main goals; (1) present a literature review and synthesis of information from petroleum remediation, environmental organic chemistry, and analytical chemistry to inform limitations of quantifying weathered hydrocarbons in stormwater control measures and (2) present preliminary use of a new carbon isotope method as an additional tool for addressing these limitations. This preliminary method was tested by analyzing stormwater associated particulates collected from a hydrodynamic separator with both the new isotope method and US EPA Method 8015, a standard gas chromatography method. The isotope method and Method 8015 found average concentrations of 45,200 and 79,600 mg/kg dry particulates, respectively. This difference was theorized to be partly due to differences in the analytical windows of the two methods: Method 8015 underestimates higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, while the isotope method likely underestimates lower molecular weight compounds. These differences were also due to differences in filter pore size and drying protocols between the two methods. The isotope method has promise, but work to further evaluate the isotope method should standardize these parameters in order to make the isotope method and Method 8015 more comparable.
Jay Martin, PhD (Advisor)
Winston Ryan, PhD (Committee Member)
Kalcic Margaret, PhD (Committee Member)
Gabor Rachel, PhD (Committee Member)
144 p.
Biogeochemistry; Environmental Engineering; Sustainability
stormwater; ecological engineering; hydrocarbons; TPH; total petroleum hydrocarbons; water quality; green infrastructure; radiocarbon; carbon isotopes; bioretention; rain gardens;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Tamkin, A. (2019). Assessment of Bioretention Performance for Hydrology and Hydrocarbons [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555580019531945

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Tamkin, Abigail. Assessment of Bioretention Performance for Hydrology and Hydrocarbons. 2019. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555580019531945.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Tamkin, Abigail. "Assessment of Bioretention Performance for Hydrology and Hydrocarbons." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1555580019531945

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1555580019531945
472
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.