Abstract
Vegetative filter strip (VFS) is a main kind of Best Management Practices for the control of non-point source pollution. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of VFS in Chinese northwest regions. Three VFSs with natural grass and Hippophae rhamnoides/grass patterns have been constructed in the bank slope of Xiaohuashan reservoir, Huaxian County, Shannxi Province. The removal effects of VFS and influencing factors have been analyzed based on field experiment data. The result reveals a positive effect on reducing the transportation of suspended solids, phosphorus and nitrogen in surface runoff, and it is more efficient on suspended solids removal. The experiment also shows that most of the suspended particles and pollutants bound to them were entrapped in the first 10 m of VFS. The main factors influencing effectiveness of VFS include vegetation patterns and inflow rate. In addition, inflow pollutant concentration has a larger impact on reducing total nitrogen and total phosphorus by VFS, but the reduction effect on SS has no significant difference.
Highlights
Constructing vegetative filter strips (VFS) between non-point pollution sources and receiving water bodies are one of recommended approaches for maintaining water quality [1]
Three VFSs consist of different vegetation patterns, each measuring 3 m wide and 2% slope, have been constructed in the spot: 1#, a 10 m long strip of Hippophae rhamnoides/grass vegetation was composed of Hippophae rhamnoides ar
This response was revealed that all VFSs were efficient and no significant differences under the condition of lower inflow rate, since the flow didn’t overflow vegetation, so vegetation near the ground could retain runoff and trap sediments without exception
Summary
Constructing vegetative filter strips (VFS) between non-point pollution sources and receiving water bodies are one of recommended approaches for maintaining water quality [1]. Very few studies have investigated the effectiveness of VFS in China [10,11,12,13] It receives much concern as how the non-point pollutants can be effectively controlled in Chinese northwest because of the serious soil erosion. The objective of this study is to evaluate, under various conditions characterizing the serious soil erosion region in Chinese northwest, the efficiency of VFS with different vegetation patterns on pollutants in surface runoff, and to analyze the influencing factors such as vegetation patterns, initial soil water content, inflow rate, inflow pollutant concentration as well as the length of strip, and so as to investigate the practical use of VFS as a mitigation measure for non-point source pollution in Chinese northwest
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