Modeling transport, fate, and removal kinetics of nitrate and orthophosphate using recycled adsorbents for high and low-flow stormwater runoff treatment

Abstract

Excessive nitrate and orthophosphate carried by the stormwater runoff potentially lead to eutrophication in surface water bodies. Various green infrastructures are used that commonly consider the biological treatment of nutrients from the runoff. Due to the leaching and clogging complexities in biological mechanisms, the selection of high-flow, eco-friendly, and recycled adsorbents has been advocated to promote the physiochemical treatment of nutrients as an alternative. In this study, column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport, fate, adsorption equilibria, and reaction kinetics of nitrate (NO3–N) and orthophosphate (PO4–P) onto three recycled adsorbents - recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), recycled crushed glass (RCG), rice husks (RH), and a layered media (LM), under high and low-flow conditions. The non-reactive solute transport in columns was investigated through the bromide tracer test. The HYDRUS-1D model was used to estimate adsorption coefficients and reaction kinetics of pollutants in unsaturated media columns. Our results indicated the maximum superficial pore velocity (v = 4.40 cm/s) and dispersion (α = 2.50 cm) in RCA at the low-flow condition. Overall, NO3–N removal at the exhaustion was low in all columns, ranging between 1 and 25%. Conversely, orthophosphate removal was significant (p < 0.05) in RCA (≤94%) under low flow conditions with increased reaction kinetics (kr,d = 3.45 min−1, kr,s = 0.55 min−1) and enhanced adsorption capacity at saturation (qmax = 1.87E+05–2.33E+05 mg/kg). In conclusion, the dissolved-phase reaction kinetics (kr,d) played a significant role apart from the physisorption for the satisfactory removal of orthophosphate in RCA.