Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Removal Kinetics of Heavy Metals and Nutrients from Stormwater by Different Filter Materials

  • Published:
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

During storm events, contaminants and sediments from roadways, curbside, parking lots, and lawns in urban environments are mobilized and transported by the stormwater runoff. These contaminants are finally discharged in waterbodies, such as rivers and lakes, with adverse effects on public health and ecosystems. Several studies have reported high levels of heavy metals and nutrients in urban stormwater runoff. Best management practices such as sedimentation and bioretention are not practical in urban environments due to the lack of adequate space; however, filtration systems, such as an in-ground permeable filter system, are being developed because they are practical and feasible. Four different filter materials (calcite, zeolite, sand, and iron filings) were effective in removing individual contaminants (Cd, Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn, nitrate, and phosphate) in tests at 24 h. The present investigation assessed the removal kinetics of contaminants from a simulated stormwater consisting of multiple heavy metals and nutrients by the four filter materials. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the removal kinetics of co-existing heavy metals and nutrients from the simulated stormwater. The rate of contaminant removal and overall removal efficiency was found to be dependent on the filter material and contaminant nature, as well as the induced pH changes caused by the filter media. The zero-order kinetic model best described the removal rate of Cu and Ni by sand. The first-order kinetic model was only applicable for nitrate removal by iron filings, and the second-order kinetic model described the removal rates of other contaminants and filter media combinations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aziz, H. A., Othman, N., Yusuff, M. S., Basri, D. R., Ashaari, F. A., Adlan, M. N., Othman, F., Johari, M., & Perwira, M. (2001). Removal of copper from water using limestone filtration technique - determination of mechanism of removal. Environment International, 26(5–6), 395–399.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bratieres, K., Fletcher, T. D., Deletic, A., & Zinger, Y. (2008). Nutrient and sediment removal by stormwater biofilters: a large-scale design optimisation study. Water Research, 42(14), 3930–3940.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, S. C., & Jackson, M. L. (1957). Solubility product of iron phosphate. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 21(3), 265–269.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, N.-B., Hossain, F., & Wanielista, M. (2010). Filter media for nutrient removal in natural systems and built environments: I—previous trends and perspectives. Environmental Engineering Science., 27(9), 689–706.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dastgheibi, S., 2012. Stormwater treatment using in-ground permeable reactive filter systems: Batch test evaluation of media. M.S. thesis, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.

  • Davis, A. P., Shokouhian, M., & Ni, S. (2001). Loading estimates of lead, copper, cadmium, and zinc in urban runoff from specific sources. Chemosphere, 44(5), 997–1009.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ericksona, A. J., Gulliverb, J. S., & Weissc, P. T. (2012). Capturing phosphates with iron enhanced sand filtration. Water Research, 46(9), 3032–3042.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franks, C. A., Davis, A. P., & Aydilek, A. H. (2012). Geosynthetic filters for water quality improvement of urban storm water runoff. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 138(10), 1018–1028.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferree, M. A., & Shannon, R. D. (2001). Evaluation of a second derivative UV/visible spectroscopy technique for nitrate and total nitrogen analysis of wastewater samples. Water Research, 35(1), 327–332.

  • Gallagher, D. L., Johnston, K. M., & Dietrich, A. M. (2001). Fate and transport of copper-based crop protectants in plasticulture runoff and the impact of sedimentation as a best management practice. Water Research, 35(12), 2984–2994.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • German, E.R. (1989). Quantity and quality of stormwater runoff recharged to the Floridan aquifer system through two drainage wells in the Orlando, Florida area. US Geological Survey - Water Supply paper 2344, Denver, CO: Florida Department of Environmental Regulation.

  • Grebel, J. E., Mohanty, S. K., Torkelson, A. A., Boehm, A. B., Higgins, C. P., Maxwell, R. M., Nelson, K. L., & Sedlak, D. L. (2013). Engineered infiltration systems for urban stormwater reclamation. Environmental Engineering Science., 30(8), 437–454.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hao, Z. W., Xu, X. H., Jin, J., He, P., Liu, Y., & Wang, D. H. (2005). Science letters: simultaneous removal of nitrate and heavy metals by iron metal. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B, 6(5), 307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, J., Tu, Z., Du, P., Li, Q., & Lin, J. (2012). Analysis of rainfall runoff characteristics from a subtropical urban lawn catchment in South-east China. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 6(4), 531–539.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard, R. K., & Sheridan, J. M. (1989). Nitrate movement to groundwater in the southeastern coastal-plain. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 44(1), 20–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassaee, M. Z., Motamedi, E., Mikhak, A., & Rahnemaie, R. (2011). Nitrate removal from water using iron nanoparticles produced by arc discharge vs. reduction. Chemical Engineering Journal, 166(2), 490–495.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. H., & Bang, K. W. (2000). Characterization of urban stormwater runoff. Water Research, 34(6), 1773–1780.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, W., Shen, Z., Tian, T., Liu, R., & Qiu, J. (2012). Temporal variation of heavy metal pollution in urban stormwater runoff. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 6(5), 692–700.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z., Sun, X., Huang, L., Liu, D., Yu, L., Wu, H., & Wei, D. (2017). Phosphate adsorption and precipitation on calcite under calco-carbonic equilibrium condition. Chemosphere, 183, 419–428.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, J. A., & Corbett, E. S. (1990). Evaluation of best management-practices for controlling nonpoint pollution from silvicultural operations. Water Resources Bulletin, 26(1), 41–52.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • May, D., & Sivakumar, M. (2009). Prediction of nutrient concentrations in urban storm water. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 135(8), 586–594.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mwakabona, H. T., Ndé-Tchoupé, A. I., Njau, K. N., Noubactep, C., & Wydra, K. D. (2017). Metallic iron for safe drinking water provision: considering a lost knowledge. Water Research, 117, 127–142.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Okochi, N. C., & McMartin, D. W. (2011). Laboratory investigations of stormwater remediation via slag: effects of metals on phosphorus removal. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 187(1–3), 250–257.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahutomo, S., Kovar, J. L., & Thompson, M. L. (2019). Malachite green method for determining phosphorus concentration in diverse matrices. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 50(14), 1743–1752.

  • Reddy, K.R. (2010). Reactive stormwater filter to prevent beach water pollution. Great Lakes restoration initiative proposal, USEPA, region 5, Chicago.

  • Reddy, K.R. (2013). Reactive stormwater filter to prevent beach water pollution. Final project report, Great Lakes restoration initiative, USEPA, region 5, Chicago.

  • Reddy, K.R., and Kumar, G. (2017). “Permeable reactive filter system for treatment of urban stormwater runoff with mixed pollutants.” Geotechnical Frontiers, Orlando, FL.

  • Reddy, K., Xie, T., & Dastgheibi, S. (2014a). Evaluation of biochar as a potential filter media for the removal of mixed contaminants from urban storm water runoff. Journal of Environmental Engineering, ASCE, 140(12), 04014043. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000872.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, K. R., Xie, T., & Dastgheibi, S. (2014b). Mixed-media filter system for removal of multiple contaminants from urban stormwater: large-scale laboratory testing. Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste, ASCE, 18(3), 04014011. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HZ.2153-5515.0000226).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, K. R., Xie, T., & Dastgheibi, S. (2014c). PAHs removal from urban storm water using different filter materials. Journal of Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste, ASCE, 18(2), 04014008. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HZ.2153-5515.0000222.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, K. R., Xie, T., & Dastgheibi, S. (2014d). Removal of heavy metals from urban stormwater using different filter materials. Journal of Chemical Environmental Engineering, 2(1), 282–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2013.12.020.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, K. R., Xie, T., & Dastgheibi, S. (2014e). Adsorption of mixed nutrients and heavy metals from simulated urban stormwater by different filter materials. Journal of Environmental Science & Health, 49(5), 524–539. https://doi.org/10.1080/10934529.2014.859030.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, K. R., Xie, T., & Dastgheibi, S. (2014f). Nutrients removal from urban stormwater by different filter materials. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 225(1), 1–14.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sartor, J. D., Boyd, G. B., & Agardy, F. J. (1974). Water-pollution aspects of street surface contaminants. Journal Water Pollution Control Federation, 46(3), 458–467.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sleiman, N., Deluchat, V., Wazne, M., Courtin, A., Saad, Z., Kazpard, V., & Baudu, M. (2016). Role of iron oxidation byproducts in the removal of phosphate from aqueous solution. RSC Advances, 6(2), 1627–1636.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland, R. A., & Tolosa, C. A. (2000). Multi-element analysis of road-deposited sediment in an urban drainage basin, Honolulu, Hawaii. Environmental Pollution, 110(3), 483–495.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tyrovola, K., Nikolaidis, N. P., Veranis, N., Kallithrakas-Kontos, N., & Koulouridakis, P. E. (2006). Arsenic removal from geothermal waters with zero-valent iron—Effect of temperature, phosphate and nitrate. Water Research, 40(12), 2375–2386.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Urbonas, B., & Stahre, P. (Eds.). (1993). Stormwater: best management practices and detention for water quality, drainage, and CSO management. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaughn, D. E. W. (1988). Industrial applications of zeolites. Chemical Engineering Progress, 84, 32–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, D. J. (2001). Modelling sedimentation processes in a constructed stormwater wetland. Sci. Total Environ., 266(1–3), 61–68.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, J. S., Allan, C. J., Saunders, W. L., & Evett, J. B. (1998). Characterization and pollutant loading estimation for highway runoff. J. Environ. Eng.-ASCE, 124(7), 584–592.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, J., Pu, Y., Qi, W. K., Yang, X. J., Tang, Y., Wan, P., & Fisher, A. (2017). Chemical removal of nitrate from water by aluminum-iron alloys. Chemosphere, 166, 197–202.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, J., Park, K., & Kim, Y. (2012). Characteristics of pollutants behavior in a stormwater constructed wetland during dry days. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 6(5), 649–657.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, J., Yu, H., & Xu, L. (2013). Performance evaluation of various stormwater best management practices. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 20(9), 6160–6171.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The assistance of Tao Xie, Giridhar Prabukumar, Krishna Pagilla, Preethi Chinchoud, Poupak Yaghoubi, Alexander Hardaway, and Hanumanth Kulkarni is gratefully acknowledged.

Availability of Data and Materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Funding

Financial support for this project is provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office (under Grant Number GL00E00526).

Dr. Claudio Cameselle thanks the Fulbright Commission and the Salvador de Madariaga program (PRX16/00282, Ministry of Education, Spain) for his research fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago, 2017.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 842 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

    Krishna R. Reddy & Sara Dastgheibi

  2. BiotecnIA, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Vigo, Rua Maxwell s/n, Building Funcion, 36310, Vigo, Spain

    Claudio Cameselle

Authors
  1. Krishna R. Reddy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sara Dastgheibi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Claudio Cameselle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All the authors have contributed to the manuscript equally. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claudio Cameselle.

Ethics declarations

Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Reddy, K.R., Dastgheibi, S. & Cameselle, C. Removal Kinetics of Heavy Metals and Nutrients from Stormwater by Different Filter Materials. Water Air Soil Pollut 231, 530 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04906-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04906-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation