Monitoring nitrogen loading and retention in an urban stormwater detention pond

J Environ Qual. 2011 Mar-Apr;40(2):598-609. doi: 10.2134/jeq2010.0300.

Abstract

Stormwater detention ponds have become ubiquitous in urbanized areas and have been suggested as potential hotspots of N transformation within urban watersheds. As a result, there is a great deal of interest in their use as structural best management practices to reduce the excessive N export from these watersheds. We conducted continuous monitoring of the influent and effluent N loads of a stormwater detention pond located on the Princeton University campus in Princeton, New Jersey. Our monitoring was conducted during four 21-d periods representing the four seasons of the northeastern United States. Water quality samples were collected and analyzed for nitrate (NO3-) during all four monitoring periods. During two of these periods, loads of ammonium (NH4+), dissolved organic N, and particulate N (PN) were measured. Our results show that NO3- dominated the influent N load, particularly in dry weather inflows to the detention pond. However, PN, which is often neglected in stormwater quality monitoring, made up as much as 30% of the total load and an even greater fraction during storm events. The results of our monitoring suggest that seasonal variation may play an important role in N retention within the detention pond. Although retention of NO3-, the most dominant fraction of N in the influent stormwater, was observed during the summer sampling period, no significant NO3- retention was observed during the spring or the two cold-weather sampling periods.

MeSH terms

  • Cities*
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods
  • New Jersey
  • Nitrogen / chemistry*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism*
  • Seasons
  • Water Movements*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry
  • Water Supply*

Substances

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Nitrogen