Grantee Research Project Results
Vermicompost from Phytoremediation of Stormwater
EPA Grant Number: SU839453Title: Vermicompost from Phytoremediation of Stormwater
Investigators: Malcolm, Elizabeth , McConnell, William , Howard, Maury , Reese, Margaret , Rock, Philip , Henry, Katrina , Ewell, Paul , Wang, Xixi , McCorty, Mayanni , Brett, Arika , Bateman, Kelly , Wang, Leyi
Current Investigators: Malcolm, Elizabeth , Wang, Xixi , McConnell, William , Howard, Maury , Reese, Margaret , Rock, Philip , Henry, Katrina , Ewell, Paul , McCorty, Mayanni , Bateman, Kelly , Wang, Leyi , Brett, Arika , Craft, Noah , Marosi, Arika , Canady, Warren , Steel, Gavin , Class, Michael , Venanzi, Philip , Hipple, Elizabeth , Hendricks, Christy , Purdin, Emily , Murrell, Phoebe , Fernandez, Allison , Xie, Jinyuan
Institution: Virginia Wesleyan College
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2018 through November 30, 2019 (Extended to May 30, 2020)
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2018) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Objective:
Constructed wetlands (CWs) and stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) are a popular best management practice for reducing flood risk and removing pollution from stormwater runoff in rural, urban, and suburban areas. SWMPs and CWs are often a sink for heavy metal pollution from sources including automotive wear and atmospheric deposition. However, some CWs have been found to be "hotspots" of methylmercury production, thus increasing downstream methylmercury. Another challenge is that excess nutrients in SWMPs cause algal blooms, often considered a nuisance by adjacent landowners and thus detrimental to property values. These algal blooms are sometimes controlled by application of algaecides. The research and design goals of this project are to 1) evaluate the potential for reducing total nitrogen, phosphorus, mercury and metals within stormwater ponds and CWs by algae removal, and 2) design and demonstrate a novel, value-added vermicomposting method for freshwater algae. To our knowledge this is the first study to evaluate phycoremediation for nutrients and metals in stormwater ponds and the first study to use algae as a vermicompost amendment.
Approach:
Mesocosm experiments will be conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of freshwater algae to remove nitrogen, phosphorus, mercury and other heavy metals (e.g. Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr) from stormwater ponds. Algae will also be harvested from stormwater CWs and retention ponds on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University. Based on chemical analysis of the algae, students will design a vermicomposting method to co-compost the waste algae with other organic waste materials. Pre-service elementary teachers will pair with science students as research apprentices allowing them to develop a more informed view of the nature of science and sustainability. This research apprenticeship model will be evaluated for its impact on pre-service elementary teachers' notions of the nature of science and their confidence in science teaching ability.
Expected Results:
This interdisciplinary project will advance the scientific and technical knowledge on phycoremediation and composting of waste algae. This method has the potential to be an easily implemented, low-cost, sustainable practice to minimize the release of aquatic pollutants such as mercury and nutrients that threaten ecosystem and public health. A lesson plan created from this project will be implemented to hundreds of Norfolk Public School elementary students in the following year by the Slover Library educational staff.
Contribution to Pollution Prevention or Control: Our proposed solution has the potential to improve pollution by: 1) removal of nutrients and heavy metals from SWMPs via phycoremediation, 2) avoidance of algaecide application, and 3) reduction in chemical fertilizer application by replacement with high quality vermicompost.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 7 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
low impact development, bioretention ponds, eutrophicationProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.