Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Schauwecker, Timothy J.

Committee Member

Brzuszek, Robert F.

Committee Member

Baker, Beth

Date of Degree

11-25-2020

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Landscape Architecture

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Landscape Architecture

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) in stormwater runoff has detrimental effects on water quality and ecosystem health when it reaches surface waters and promotes algal blooms. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been utilized to combat this problem by containing stormwater and removing excess nutrients. Including filter materials in the design of CWs has shown promise for increasing their capacity for nutrient removal. This mesocosm scale study was conducted outdoors over a 12-month period to evaluate the effectiveness of three filter materials in their ability to adsorb phosphorus, retain water, and support plant life. The filter materials examined were electric arc furnace (EAF) slag, engineered biochar, and sand. All treatments demonstrated positive plant response and the ability to retain water. The EAF slag and biochar removed significant amounts of P from effluent and appear to be suitable materials for integrating into CW design. Sand was found to be ineffective as a P filter.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/20867

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