Detailed Research Information

Detailed project information for
Study Plan Number 05008

Branch : Restoration Technologies Branch

Study Plan Number : 05008

Study Title : Restoration of Hatchery-Impacted Streams by Removal of Phosphorus

Starting Date : 06/01/2003

Completion Date : 12/31/2004

Principal Investigator(s) : Sibrell, Philip L

Primary PI : Sibrell, Philip L.

Telephone Number : (304) 724-4426

Email Address : philip_sibrell@usgs.gov

SIS Number :

Primary Program Element :

Second Program Element :

Status : Active

Abstract : BACKGROUND
Eutrophication is a serious water pollution concern and phosphorus (P) is one of its main causes (U.S. Geological Survey, 1999a). Legislation limiting P use in household products and mandating treatment of industrial and municipal wastewaters has decreased P released from these sources (Litke, 1999). One of the largest remaining P sources is agriculture, through overuse of fertilizers and disposal of animal wastes. Like any animal feeding operation, fish hatcheries generate significant amounts of P. The P released in the culturing of fish is distributed between solid and dissolved forms. Many hatcheries employ solid-liquid separation technologies to retain solid wastes, but at the present time, no economic options exist for removal of soluble P from hatchery wastewater. The soluble P is difficult to capture because of dilute concentrations in high flows of water. However, the cumulative P load of such operations is contributing to the nutrient loads of flowing waters, leading to degradation of stream water quality. The EPA is currently developing national water quality discharge standards for aquaculture operations (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000). The court–ordered deadline for final implementation of regulations is June of 2004. Facilities not meeting these standards may not receive operating permits.

The problem of excessive soluble P loading of receiving waters is widespread in the northeast region. For example, Pennsylvania currently operates thirteen fish hatcheries across the state to support a sport fishing industry that generates millions of dollars of income annually to the region. Recently, the state’s Big Springs hatchery near Chambersburg, PA was closed because of degradation of the receiving stream through the release of solids and nutrients. As a result, the annual production of over 500,000 trout was lost (Gvozdas, 2001). Estimated costs of renovation of the hatchery ranged from 2 to 17 million dollars. In addition, several of the state’s hatcheries are located on the Susquehanna River or its tributaries. The Susquehanna is the largest river draining into the Chesapeake Bay, and currently contributes about 34% of the total P load to the bay (USGS, 1999b). Under the Clean Water Act, the EPA has declared portions of the Chesapeake Bay to be impaired because of low dissolved oxygen concentrations resulting from excessive nutrient inputs. The recent Chesapeake 2000 agreement lists steps to be taken to reduce nutrients loads sufficiently so that the impaired designation can be removed. If this is not achieved, a mandatory cleanup will be implemented by the EPA, requiring a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the bay and its tributaries, with high costs of compliance. The steps to be taken include definitions of water quality conditions, followed by assignment of load reductions to each tributary entering the Chesapeake Bay. This will undoubtedly exert pressure on aquaculture facilities to decrease P emissions significantly.

All of these factors are forcing hatchery operators to examine their options to decrease P discharges to the environment. An economical method of prevention of P release would enable the hatchery system to continue to supply the fish required for the sport fishing industry, while at the same time restoring the hatchery receiving waters to the pristine aquatic environments they once were.

Phosphorus is typically removed from municipal and industrial wastes through the addition of aluminum or iron salts such as alum. These salts precipitate when mixed with neutral waters to form a heavy floc blanket that settles through the water column and removes P from solution. For complete removal of P, two to three times the stoichiometric requirement is usually needed (Metcalf and Eddy, 1991). Based on recently published costs for alum and iron salts (Chemical Market Reporter, 2001), the cost of these chemicals generally prevents the use of this technology for the dilute high flows found in aquaculture wastes. Calcium compounds such as lime are sometimes used for P removal, but require an elevated pH to achieve good P removal, which is not practical for large flows to be discharged into the environment. Reusable gel-based absorbents have been developed for aquaculture use, but appear to be too expensive for use in large quantities (Kioussis and others, 1999). Because of the cost of using commercial reagents for P removal, several research efforts have been dedicated to use of industrial waste products for P sequestration. The waste products include calcium oxides from steelmaking slags (Lee and others, 1996), iron oxide residues from aluminum ore processing (Summers and others, 1996), and coal combustion flyash (Stout and others, 1998; O’Reilly and Sims, 1995). These wastes are high in compounds such as iron, aluminum and calcium oxides that have an affinity for P. Similar types of amendments have been tested for use in preventing P release from poultry manures (Shreve and others, 1995; Moore and Miller, 1994). However, these waste products may not be available in certain areas, and transport costs could prevent their utilization. An alternative source of iron and aluminum oxides that is widely available in coal mining regions is neutralization wastes from treatment of acid mine drainage.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is formed by the oxidation of sulfur in minerals associated with coal deposits to form sulfuric acid (Stumm and Morgan, 1996). The acid then solubilizes metals present in the host rock, usually including aluminum, iron and manganese. Typical treatment for AMD flows is neutralization with alkaline materials, such as limestone, lime, caustic or ammonia (Evangelou, 1995). The neutralization of the acid results in precipitation of the iron and aluminum as metal hydroxide flocs with high water content. Disposal of these waste flocs can represent a major operating cost of an AMD treatment facility. Development of alternate uses such as P sequestration for the waste floc would decrease AMD treatment costs as well as prevent release of P into the environment.

The use of AMD flocs for P sequestration has recently been investigated in a cooperative effort by the USDA-ARS in Kearneysville and the Leetown Science Center (Adler and Sibrell, 2001). We found that the flocs were effective at P removal from both aerated and oxygen-deficient waters. The floc was also effective as a soil amendment --addition of a few percent floc to a high-P soil decreased the water extractable P by 90%. Other investigators have also examined the use of flocs from a wetland for P removal (Evenson and Nairn, 2000). These studies anticipated use of floc as amendments for high P soils and manures. However, it was observed that the flocs when dried formed a porous solid that held together in water and that might be used directly for treatment of water using a packed or fluidized bed filter. These kinds of treatment units are economical, and have been used extensively in aquaculture for bacterial nitrification processes.
OBJECTIVES
1. Test absorption of P from water onto selected AMD flocs at various influent concentrations and feed rates to find extent and rate of absorption reaction.

2. Explore contacting options, including packed and fluidized beds for optimal P removal.

3. Measure abrasion losses of solids; test addition of Portland cement to reduce losses to negligible levels.

4. Investigate stripping of P and reuse of the AMD flocs.

5. Test optimized process at a field site.
HYPOTHESIS TO BE TESTED
1. The rate of adsorption of P from solution by AMD flocs depends on the floc source, the P concentration in solution, the floc particle size and the mode of contact.

2. The addition of Portland cement to AMD floc increases abrasion resistance of the floc particles.

3. The efficiency of P stripping from AMD floc is influenced by solution properties such as the pH, ionic strength or oxidation/reduction potential.

4. The process can be economically scaled up for use in operating hatchery systems.

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U.S. Department of the Interior || U.S. Geological Survey
11700 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA
URL: http://www.lsc.usgs.gov
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Last Modified: October 21, 2002 dwn
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Branch :	Restoration Technologies Branch
Study Plan Number :	05008
Study Title :	Restoration of Hatchery-Impacted Streams by Removal of Phosphorus
Starting Date :	06/01/2003
Completion Date :	12/31/2004
Principal Investigator(s) :	Sibrell, Philip L
Primary PI :	Sibrell, Philip L.
Telephone Number :	(304) 724-4426
Email Address :	philip_sibrell@usgs.gov
SIS Number :
Primary Program Element :
Second Program Element :
Status :	Active
Abstract :	BACKGROUND Eutrophication is a serious water pollution concern and phosphorus (P) is one of its main causes (U.S. Geological Survey, 1999a). Legislation limiting P use in household products and mandating treatment of industrial and municipal wastewaters has decreased P released from these sources (Litke, 1999). One of the largest remaining P sources is agriculture, through overuse of fertilizers and disposal of animal wastes. Like any animal feeding operation, fish hatcheries generate significant amounts of P. The P released in the culturing of fish is distributed between solid and dissolved forms. Many hatcheries employ solid-liquid separation technologies to retain solid wastes, but at the present time, no economic options exist for removal of soluble P from hatchery wastewater. The soluble P is difficult to capture because of dilute concentrations in high flows of water. However, the cumulative P load of such operations is contributing to the nutrient loads of flowing waters, leading to degradation of stream water quality. The EPA is currently developing national water quality discharge standards for aquaculture operations (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000). The court–ordered deadline for final implementation of regulations is June of 2004. Facilities not meeting these standards may not receive operating permits. The problem of excessive soluble P loading of receiving waters is widespread in the northeast region. For example, Pennsylvania currently operates thirteen fish hatcheries across the state to support a sport fishing industry that generates millions of dollars of income annually to the region. Recently, the state’s Big Springs hatchery near Chambersburg, PA was closed because of degradation of the receiving stream through the release of solids and nutrients. As a result, the annual production of over 500,000 trout was lost (Gvozdas, 2001). Estimated costs of renovation of the hatchery ranged from 2 to 17 million dollars. In addition, several of the state’s hatcheries are located on the Susquehanna River or its tributaries. The Susquehanna is the largest river draining into the Chesapeake Bay, and currently contributes about 34% of the total P load to the bay (USGS, 1999b). Under the Clean Water Act, the EPA has declared portions of the Chesapeake Bay to be impaired because of low dissolved oxygen concentrations resulting from excessive nutrient inputs. The recent Chesapeake 2000 agreement lists steps to be taken to reduce nutrients loads sufficiently so that the impaired designation can be removed. If this is not achieved, a mandatory cleanup will be implemented by the EPA, requiring a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the bay and its tributaries, with high costs of compliance. The steps to be taken include definitions of water quality conditions, followed by assignment of load reductions to each tributary entering the Chesapeake Bay. This will undoubtedly exert pressure on aquaculture facilities to decrease P emissions significantly. All of these factors are forcing hatchery operators to examine their options to decrease P discharges to the environment. An economical method of prevention of P release would enable the hatchery system to continue to supply the fish required for the sport fishing industry, while at the same time restoring the hatchery receiving waters to the pristine aquatic environments they once were. Phosphorus is typically removed from municipal and industrial wastes through the addition of aluminum or iron salts such as alum. These salts precipitate when mixed with neutral waters to form a heavy floc blanket that settles through the water column and removes P from solution. For complete removal of P, two to three times the stoichiometric requirement is usually needed (Metcalf and Eddy, 1991). Based on recently published costs for alum and iron salts (Chemical Market Reporter, 2001), the cost of these chemicals generally prevents the use of this technology for the dilute high flows found in aquaculture wastes. Calcium compounds such as lime are sometimes used for P removal, but require an elevated pH to achieve good P removal, which is not practical for large flows to be discharged into the environment. Reusable gel-based absorbents have been developed for aquaculture use, but appear to be too expensive for use in large quantities (Kioussis and others, 1999). Because of the cost of using commercial reagents for P removal, several research efforts have been dedicated to use of industrial waste products for P sequestration. The waste products include calcium oxides from steelmaking slags (Lee and others, 1996), iron oxide residues from aluminum ore processing (Summers and others, 1996), and coal combustion flyash (Stout and others, 1998; O’Reilly and Sims, 1995). These wastes are high in compounds such as iron, aluminum and calcium oxides that have an affinity for P. Similar types of amendments have been tested for use in preventing P release from poultry manures (Shreve and others, 1995; Moore and Miller, 1994). However, these waste products may not be available in certain areas, and transport costs could prevent their utilization. An alternative source of iron and aluminum oxides that is widely available in coal mining regions is neutralization wastes from treatment of acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage (AMD) is formed by the oxidation of sulfur in minerals associated with coal deposits to form sulfuric acid (Stumm and Morgan, 1996). The acid then solubilizes metals present in the host rock, usually including aluminum, iron and manganese. Typical treatment for AMD flows is neutralization with alkaline materials, such as limestone, lime, caustic or ammonia (Evangelou, 1995). The neutralization of the acid results in precipitation of the iron and aluminum as metal hydroxide flocs with high water content. Disposal of these waste flocs can represent a major operating cost of an AMD treatment facility. Development of alternate uses such as P sequestration for the waste floc would decrease AMD treatment costs as well as prevent release of P into the environment. The use of AMD flocs for P sequestration has recently been investigated in a cooperative effort by the USDA-ARS in Kearneysville and the Leetown Science Center (Adler and Sibrell, 2001). We found that the flocs were effective at P removal from both aerated and oxygen-deficient waters. The floc was also effective as a soil amendment --addition of a few percent floc to a high-P soil decreased the water extractable P by 90%. Other investigators have also examined the use of flocs from a wetland for P removal (Evenson and Nairn, 2000). These studies anticipated use of floc as amendments for high P soils and manures. However, it was observed that the flocs when dried formed a porous solid that held together in water and that might be used directly for treatment of water using a packed or fluidized bed filter. These kinds of treatment units are economical, and have been used extensively in aquaculture for bacterial nitrification processes. OBJECTIVES 1. Test absorption of P from water onto selected AMD flocs at various influent concentrations and feed rates to find extent and rate of absorption reaction. 2. Explore contacting options, including packed and fluidized beds for optimal P removal. 3. Measure abrasion losses of solids; test addition of Portland cement to reduce losses to negligible levels. 4. Investigate stripping of P and reuse of the AMD flocs. 5. Test optimized process at a field site. HYPOTHESIS TO BE TESTED 1. The rate of adsorption of P from solution by AMD flocs depends on the floc source, the P concentration in solution, the floc particle size and the mode of contact. 2. The addition of Portland cement to AMD floc increases abrasion resistance of the floc particles. 3. The efficiency of P stripping from AMD floc is influenced by solution properties such as the pH, ionic strength or oxidation/reduction potential. 4. The process can be economically scaled up for use in operating hatchery systems.
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U.S. Department of the Interior \|\| U.S. Geological Survey 11700 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV 25430, USA URL: http://www.lsc.usgs.gov Maintainer: lsc_webmaster@usgs.gov Last Modified: October 21, 2002 dwn Privacy Policy and Disclaimers \|\| FOIA \|\| Accessibility