Grantee Research Project Results
2022 Progress Report: Temporal and Spatial Optimization of Existing and Emerging Nutrient Management Technologies and Practices for Control of Harmful Algal Blooms
EPA Grant Number: R840090Title: Temporal and Spatial Optimization of Existing and Emerging Nutrient Management Technologies and Practices for Control of Harmful Algal Blooms
Investigators: Zhang, Qiong , Mihelcic, James R. , Ergas, Sarina , Arias, Mauricio , Charkhgard, Hadi , Rains, Mark
Current Investigators: Zhang, Qiong , Mihelcic, James R. , Ergas, Sarina , Arias, Mauricio , Charkhgard, Hadi , Rains, Mark , Nachabe, Mahmood
Institution: University of South Florida
EPA Project Officer: Ludwig-Monty, Sarah
Project Period: September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2023 (Extended to August 31, 2024)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2021 through August 31,2022
Project Amount: $1,000,000
RFA: Approaches to Reduce Nutrient Loadings for Harmful Algal Blooms Management (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Harmful Algal Blooms , Water
Objective:
The overall goal of this project is to optimize the implementation of nutrient treatment technologies and management practices guided directly by the ecological response of the watershed for effective Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) control. The project objectives are to: 1) develop a holistic assessment framework for evaluating existing and emerging nutrient management technologies/strategies, 2) create an innovation road map for supporting the scale-up of promising emerging technologies, and 3) integrate hydro-ecological models of temporal algae production with nutrient management optimization models. The project will provide decision makers with a tool to temporally and spatially implement the most appropriate suite of nutrient management strategies for HAB control.
Progress Summary:
During this reporting period, we organized another large stakeholder meeting, followed with several meetings with a subcommittee of the stakeholder group for individual tasks to receive feedbacks. Four tasks were planned and have been carried out as planned for Year 2. The progresses made in each task were summarized as following: (Task 1) – We revised the sustainability assessment framework developed in the first year (including five dimensions - technology, environment, management, society, and ecology - and 10 indicators), and applied it to evaluate ten best management practices (BMPs). Also, thee indicators were used to evaluate 26 BMPs for controlling stormwater and agricultural runoff. A siting tool was developed to locate suitable implementation areas for specific BMPs. We have been conducting scenario analysis to investigate how BMPs implementation locations impact the overall nutrient reduction at the watershed level; (Task 2) – Preliminary testing and pilot-scale experiments have been carried out to test several new technologies such as biochar-based adsorption barrier or biochar-amended bioretention system. These activities have been done in partnership with a utility (the City of Lakeland) and a technology vender (Mackworth-Enviro). Additional funding from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and a Florida Nursery, Holmberg Nursery in Lithia Florida has been secured. The experiences gained in Task 2 will be used to develop a roadmap for implementation of new technologies; (Task 3) – A version of the watershed assessment model (WAM) hydrologic/water quality model was recalibrated and validated for six sub-watersheds of L. Okeechobee with recent hydroclimatic conditions. A high-resolution Delft3D hydrodynamic model has been developed for L. Okeechobee and calibrated/validated for flows, nitrogen, and phosphorus. A number of “what-if” scenarios were analyzed to assess potential management strategies; (Task 4) – We developed a deterministic optimization model which provides optimal spatial and temporal decisions with respect to the implementation of nutrient management technologies/practices. An open-source package is uploaded for public uses. All research activities are following the approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).
Some important outcomes from the project are: (1) The assessment framework developed captures the important criteria that the stakeholders are concerned with; (2) Wet detention pond was the top ranked BMP among 26 evaluated BMPs considering nutrient removal performance, scalability, and capital cost; (3) The result of the suitable implementation areas from the developed siting tool is consistent with areas for BMP implementation in the Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) report, showing that the tool can be used for siting BMPs; (4) Preliminary batch and column studies show that phosphorus removal results using functionalized biochar media materials are comparable with those with commercially available adsorbent materials; (5) Both nitrogen and phosphorus play a critical role on algal blooms, but algae blooms are more responsive to inorganic nitrogen; (6) The performance of the deterministic optimization model has been validated for one sub-watershed; (7) the deterministic optimization model and its Python optimization package for spatial and temporal implementation of nutrient management technologies/practices is available for publics.
Future Activities:
spreadsheet tool for technology/practice evaluation; (2) apply Life Cycle Assessment to assess the selected BMPs and compare the results with that obtained from the developed framework; (3) conduct meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between BMP nutrient reduction performance and local conditions, further determining the most influential factors; (4) finalize the design of biochar-based barriers and monitor environmental factors to evaluate their performance; (5) continue working with stakeholders, FDEP, FOWA, consultants, and septic system installers to select an emerging technology for scale up in the area of onsite wastewater treatment; (6) focus on scenarios of BMP configuration and their effects on algal blooms; (7) continue developing and validating the robust optimization model.
Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 10 publications | 5 publications in selected types | All 5 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Dang T, Arias M, Tarabih O, Phlips E, Ergas S, Rains M, Zhang Q. Modeling temporal and spatial variations of biogeochemical processes in a large subtropical lake:Assessing alternative solutions to algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Journal of Hydrology-Regional Studies 2023;47(101441). |
R840090 (2022) R840090 (2023) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
algal blooms, sustainability assessment framework, emerging technologies, watershed modeling, lake modeling, BMP optimizationProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.