Article
Engineering, Environmental
P. Galbraith, R. Henry, D. T. McCarthy
Summary: This study investigates the potential of significant antimicrobial-producing plants to enhance the removal of faecal microorganisms in stormwater biofilters. The results show that biofilters with Melaleuca fulgens and Melaleuca linariifolia have a higher bacterial inactivation rate compared to Carex appressa biofilters. The rhizosphere, however, supports prolonged survival of faecal bacteria. Further research on antimicrobial-producing plants like melaleucas is recommended for improved faecal pathogen treatment in biofilters.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hui Fang, Behzad Jamali, Ana Deletic, Kefeng Zhang
Summary: The study used machine learning methods to predict the performance of biofilters, with random forest model performing relatively better during training but less accurate during validation. The design and operational factors of biofilters play an important role in the removal of heavy metals.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dong Li, Laurie C. Van de Werfhorst, Megyn B. Rugh, Marina Feraud, Wei-Cheng Hung, Jennifer Jay, Yiping Cao, Emily A. Parker, Stanley B. Grant, Patricia A. Holden
Summary: The study tested the removal of bacterial pollutants in full-scale planted biofilters during simulated storm events and found that the removal was limited. Bacterial pollutants in soil were gradually washed out during storm flushing events, with a concentration of influent bacteria remaining in the top layers of post-storm biofilter soil cores.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Renan Valenca, Lilly Garcia, Christina Espinosa, Dilara Flor, Sanjay K. Mohanty
Summary: Retention ponds are sensitive to changes in weather conditions and water composition, making regression-based modeling less effective in predicting microbial water quality. Machine learning algorithms, such as the random forest method, show promise in predicting microbial water quality under complex conditions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tangming Ma, Ziwei Ao, Tianheng Gao, Liuyan Yang, Yan Gao
Summary: A novel electrolysis biofilter (EBF) was developed for efficient degradation of MC-LR in contaminated water, meeting the WHO drinking water quality standard. Electrolysis, adsorption, and biodegradation were found to play important roles in the degradation process. LC-HRMS analysis revealed the degradation pathway of MC-LR.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Katherine E. Graham, Claire E. Anderson, Alexandria B. Boehm
Summary: The study found that human pathogenic viruses in urban runoff were at low concentrations, and there was no significant difference in virus removal between vegetated and non-vegetated biofilters, except for slightly higher removal of M52 in vegetated biofilters. Adenovirus and enterovirus were removed more efficiently compared to the indicator virus M52, suggesting M52 may be a conservative indicator for human virus removal in biofiltration systems. These results can inform design choices for biofilters aimed at improving water quality.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew T. Price, Angelia D. Blackwood, Rachel T. Noble
Summary: This study examined the impact of tidal inundation on stormwater discharge, demonstrating that tidal phase and E. coli concentration are significant factors affecting Enterococcus sp. concentrations in water samples. The research emphasized the need to include tidal parameters in future water quality monitoring programs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Inbar Leviram, Amit Gross, Anna Lintern, Olabiyi Obayomi, Vered Chalifa-Caspi, Osnat Gillor, Rebekah Henry, Christelle Schang, Moshe Herzberg, David T. Mccarthy
Summary: Harnessing the metabolic capacity and adaptive potential of prokaryotes is important for environmental bioremediation and waste treatment. This study investigated the use of Arthrobacter aurescens TC1 to augment biofiltration systems for micropollutant bioremediation. The presence of granulated activated carbon (GAC) had the most significant impact on the microbial structure, while vegetation mainly affected the structure in the sand biofilter media. The addition of GAC effectively enhanced the biodegradation capacity in stormwater with minimal effects on microbial diversity and function.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chelsea J. Mitchell, Anand D. Jayakaran, Jenifer K. McIntyre
Summary: Bioretention is widely used for stormwater management, but the treatment performance for certain organic and biological pollutants remains unclear. This study evaluated the treatment of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in stormwater runoff by different bioretention mixtures. The results showed that all treatments effectively removed PAHs, and biochar amendments improved the treatment of FIB. These findings indicate the potential of bioretention for remediating PAHs in stormwater and enhancing microbial treatment of bacteria.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Krishna R. Reddy, Sara Dastgheibi, Claudio Cameselle
Summary: The study investigated the effectiveness of mixed or layered filter media for removing mixed contaminants from synthetic stormwater. Different combinations of materials were tested, showing high removal efficiency of nutrients and heavy metals. The findings suggest that a combination of traditional and alternative materials can be effective in treating common contaminants in stormwater.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mina Shahirnia, Cuauhtemoc Tonatiuh Vidrio-Sahagun, Jianxun He, Caterina Valeo, Bert van Duin, Megan Beaudry, Norman F. Neumann
Summary: This study investigated microbial contamination in stormwater ponds in Calgary, Canada. The results showed that stormwater from catchments with a higher percentage of commercial land use was more contaminated than those with primary residential land use. Additionally, microbial pollution in the ponds was mainly attributed to human sources, regardless of rain events or dry periods.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiafu Xi, Zhen Zhou, Yao Yuan, Kaiqi Xiao, Yangjie Qin, Kaichong Wang, Ying An, Jianfeng Ye, Zhichao Wu
Summary: Efficient and space-saving technologies for on-site treatment of stormwater runoff are essential to control urban surface water pollution. The CFFA treatment system in this study achieved synchronous removal of multiple contaminants with the highest pollutant removal loads compared to reported processes.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mike Cyterski, Orin C. Shanks, Pauline Wanjugi, Brian McMinn, Asja Korajkic, Kevin Oshima, Rich Haugland
Summary: This study uses statistical models to predict the concentrations of E. coli and coliphage, and finds that qPCR-based enterococci and Bacteroidales models have the highest predictive performance, while F+ coliphage consistently yields poor performing models. The influential covariates vary by microbial indicator and site.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wan Yang, Chen Cai, Donghai Yang, Xiaohu Dai
Summary: This study compared the responses of bacterial community, human pathogenic bacteria (HPB), and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to sludge pretreatment-anaerobic digestion (AD). The results showed that AD drove the variation of bacterial community and led to the convergence of HPB communities in pretreated sludge. FIB was found to be suitable for characterizing general pathogen removal rather than showing the real pattern of HPB. AD-related parameters played an important role in assessing pathogen inactivation.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tao Huang, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Stephen H. Jones
Summary: Fecal contamination is a major cause of global water quality impairment, and aquatic ecosystems play a crucial role in removing fecal contamination. Understanding the mechanisms of fecal contamination removal in river networks under different flow conditions is essential. A river network model, FrAMES-Ecoli, was used to study the removal of fecal indicator bacteria in New England watersheds during summers. The results showed that river networks can effectively remove fecal indicator bacteria, with removal rates influenced by hydrologic conditions, watershed size, and source distribution. These findings highlight the importance of considering river network removal in managing fecal contamination in downstream receiving waters.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dan Laffoley, John M. Baxter, Diva J. Amon, Joachim Claudet, Craig A. Downs, Sylvia A. Earle, Kristina M. Gjerde, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Heather J. Koldewey, Lisa A. Levin, Chris P. Reid, Callum M. Roberts, Rashid U. Sumaila, Michelle L. Taylor, Torsten Thiele, Lucy C. Woodall
Summary: Climate and biodiversity crises are the top two interconnected threats facing the planet, with the ocean playing a vital role in both. COP26 has the potential to be a turning point, but it requires commitment to united action for the ocean and science-led solutions to address the interconnectivity of ocean, climate, and biodiversity.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Sujay S. Kaushal, Paul M. Mayer, Gene E. Likens, Jenna E. Reimer, Carly M. Maas, Megan A. Rippy, Stanley B. Grant, Ian Hart, Ryan M. Utz, Ruth R. Shatkay, Barret M. Wessel, Christine E. Maietta, Michael L. Pace, Shuiwang Duan, Walter L. Boger, Alexis M. Yaculak, Joseph G. Galella, Kelsey L. Wood, Carol J. Morel, William Nguyen, Shane Elizabeth C. Querubin, Rebecca A. Sukert, Anna Lowien, Alyssa Wellman Houde, Anais Roussel, Andrew J. Houston, Ari Cacopardo, Cristy Ho, Haley Talbot-Wendlandt, Jacob M. Widmer, Jairus Slagle, James A. Bader, Jeng Hann Chong, Jenna Wollney, Jordan Kim, Lauren Shepherd, Matthew T. Wilfong, Megan Houlihan, Nathan Sedghi, Rebecca Butcher, Sona Chaudhary, William D. Becker
Summary: The severity and recovery chances of freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS) are influenced by various factors, including human activities, geology, flowpaths, climate, and time. These factors drive the spread of FSS across ecosystems in different stages, leading to failures in systems-level functions.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Stanley B. Grant, Megan A. Rippy, Thomas A. Birkland, Todd Schenk, Kristin Rowles, Shalini Misra, Payam Aminpour, Sujay Kaushal, Peter Vikesland, Emily Berglund, Jesus D. Gomez-Velez, Erin R. Hotchkiss, Gabriel Perez, Harry X. Zhang, Kingston Armstrong, Shantanu V. Bhide, Lauren Krauss, Carly Maas, Kent Mendoza, Caitlin Shipman, Yadong Zhang, Yinman Zhong
Summary: Freshwater salinization is a growing issue globally, affecting ecosystems and human water supplies. This article proposes using a social-ecological systems framework to understand and manage this issue, using rising sodium concentrations in the Occoquan Reservoir in Northern Virginia as a case study to explore impacts, causes, solutions, and research needs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lisa A. Levin, Guillermo F. Mendoza, Carlos Neira, Sarah N. Giddings, Jeffrey A. Crooks
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of mouth closure and hypoxia on macrobenthic communities in two estuaries along the southern California coastline. The results showed that mouth closure increased macrofaunal density and diversity, especially at the mouth, and suppressed seasonality. Hypoxia, on the other hand, led to changes in taxonomic composition but had no effect on taxon richness or diversity. The differences in community composition and traits between the two estuaries disappeared in the middle and upper reaches.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Marina Feraud, Sean P. Ahearn, Emily A. Parker, Sumant Avasarala, Megyn B. Rugh, Wei-Cheng Hung, Dong Li, Laurie C. Van De Werfhorst, Timnit Kefela, Azadeh Hemati, Andrew S. Mehring, Yiping Cao, Jennifer A. Jay, Haizhou Liu, Stanley B. Grant, Patricia A. Holden
Summary: This study found that nitrogen in urban runoff can be treated with biofilters during simulated storms, but the nitrogen transformation within the biofilters is insufficient, mainly undergoing ammonification and nitrification, without much denitrification. Therefore, it is necessary to redesign biofilters to promote plant assimilation and/or denitrification of nitrogen in order to reduce the nitrogen generation and export caused by nitrification.
Article
Limnology
Lillian R. McCormick, Shailja Gangrade, Jessica C. Garwood, Nicholas W. Oesch, Lisa A. Levin
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Caleb J. Robbins, Beth C. Norman, Halvor M. Halvorson, David W. P. Manning, Elliot Bastias, Cristiane Biasi, Allyn K. Dodd, Rebecca A. Eckert, Alice Gossiaux, Jeremy Jabiol, Andrew S. Mehring, Ada Pastor
Summary: The decomposition of coarse detritus in freshwater ecosystems has been well studied in terms of mass loss, but less is known about the temporal changes in the elemental composition of these materials during decomposition. This dataset synthesizes published measurements of detrital nutrients and stoichiometry to provide a basis for understanding the temporality of elemental content in freshwater detritus.
Article
Ecology
Caleb J. J. Robbins, David W. P. Manning, Halvor M. M. Halvorson, Beth C. C. Norman, Rebecca A. A. Eckert, Ada Pastor, Allyn K. K. Dodd, Jeremy Jabiol, Elliot Bastias, Alice Gossiaux, Andrew S. S. Mehring
Summary: Decomposing organic matter is a vital resource for aquatic ecosystems, providing fuel for their biogeochemical function and secondary production. However, the dynamics of detrital nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in aquatic ecosystems have been less explored compared to terrestrial ecosystems, despite their fundamental connection with microbial processes and ecosystem function. This study synthesized published time series data from stream ecosystems to analyze the nutrient dynamics of decomposing litter. The results showed that detritus contributed as a net source of N to the environment, regardless of the initial N content. On the other hand, the sink/source dynamics of P were more influenced by the initial P content, shifting from P sinks to net P mineralization after a certain level of mass loss. However, variations in N and P predictions indicated the importance of nonmicrobial factors such as invertebrate fragmentation. Overall, this analysis helps to bridge the gap between organic matter decomposition in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and provides insights for future research on detrital nutrient dynamics.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jennifer T. Le, Jennifer P. Gonzalez, Richard T. Carson, Richard F. Ambrose, Lisa A. Levin
Summary: Natural stormwater treatment systems (NTS) are designed ecosystems that capture and treat stormwater runoff using natural processes. The biological communities associated with NTS can provide additional ecosystem services, such as biodiversity and climate regulation, as well as recreational and aesthetic value. The review highlights the need for indicators, measurements, and monitoring of ecosystem services and co-benefits from NTS. Three models are presented to evaluate NTS performance, providing important information for NTS design, spatial placement, and decision-making.
Article
Ecology
Stephen G. Whitaker, Richard F. Ambrose, Laura M. Anderson, Robin J. Fales, Jayson R. Smith, Sierra Sutton, Robert J. Miller
Summary: Foundation species like trees, corals, grasses, oysters, and rockweeds play a crucial role in modifying the physical environment and increasing biodiversity. However, many of these important species are declining due to various factors. This comprehensive review focuses on rockweeds, their ecological importance, and the need for restoration efforts to conserve and enhance their population for the benefit of ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sujay S. S. Kaushal, Carly M. M. Maas, Paul M. M. Mayer, Tammy A. A. Newcomer-Johnson, Stanley B. B. Grant, Megan A. A. Rippy, Ruth R. R. Shatkay, Jonathan Leathers, Arthur J. J. Gold, Cassandra Smith, Evan C. C. McMullen, Shahan Haq, Rose Smith, Shuiwang Duan, Joseph Malin, Alexis Yaculak, Jenna E. E. Reimer, Katie Delaney Newcomb, Ashley Sides Raley, Daniel C. C. Collison, Joseph G. G. Galella, Melissa Grese, Gwendolyn Sivirichi, Thomas R. R. Doody, Peter Vikesland, Shantanu V. V. Bhide, Lauren Krauss, Madeline Daugherty, Christina Stavrou, MaKayla Etheredge, Jillian Ziegler, Andrew Kirschnick, William England, Kenneth T. T. Belt
Summary: There are challenges in monitoring and managing water quality due to spatial and temporal heterogeneity in contaminant sources, transport, and transformations. We demonstrate the importance of longitudinal stream synoptic (LSS) monitoring, which can track combinations of water quality parameters along flowpaths across space and time.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Megan A. Rippy, Gregory Pierce, David Feldman, Brandon Winfrey, Andrew S. Mehring, Patricia A. Holden, Richard Ambrose, Lisa A. Levin
Summary: Natural treatment systems (NTS) have the potential to provide various ecosystem services for stormwater management. However, there are significant differences in the perception of NTS among different groups, and engineering students generally lack familiarity with the appearance of NTS and its placement in the broader landscape context. Collaboration with expertise from urban planning and ecology can help bridge the knowledge gaps and enhance the capacity of engineers in designing NTS.
