The Effectiveness of an Artificial Floating Wetland to Remove Nutrients in an Urban Stream: A Pilot-Study in the Chicago River, Chicago, IL USA

Ever expanding urbanized landscapes are increasingly impacting streams that run through them. Among other stressors, urban streams often are host to elevated concentrations of nutrients, salts, and heavy metals. The pollutants, coupled with high temperatures, are drivers of ecosystem degradation in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrology 2021-09, Vol.8 (3), p.115
Main Authors: Peterson, Eric W., Nicodemus, Phil, Spooner, Emmett, Heath, Abigail
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic habitats
artificial floating wetland
Biofilms
Canals
Chicago River
Chloride
Creeks & streams
Denitrification
Dormancy
Downstream
Ecosystem degradation
Ecosystems
Eutrophication
Floating
Growing season
Habitats
Heavy metals
High temperature
Hydrology
Lakes
Metal concentrations
Metals
Microorganisms
Mineral nutrients
nitrate
Nitrates
Nitrogen
Nutrients
phosphate
Phosphates
Phosphorus
Plant growth
Pollutants
Rivers
Salts
Seasons
Streams
Thermal pollution
Upstream
Uptake
Urbanization
Wastewater treatment
Water analysis
Water quality
Water sampling
Water temperature
Watersheds
Wetlands
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Summary:Ever expanding urbanized landscapes are increasingly impacting streams that run through them. Among other stressors, urban streams often are host to elevated concentrations of nutrients, salts, and heavy metals. The pollutants, coupled with high temperatures, are drivers of ecosystem degradation in urban streams. The installation of artificial floating wetlands (AFWs) has been successful in mitigating the effects of urbanization in lakes and wastewater treatment ponds, but rarely have they been tested in streams. This pilot-study examined the ability of an AFW to improve water quality in an urban stream. The small, 90 m2 AFW was installed to improve the aquatic habitat and aesthetics of a small section of the Chicago River, Chicago, IL USA. Water samples and in-situ measurements were collected from the surface and at 0.3 m depth of upstream and downstream of the AFW. Samples were analyzed for nitrate-as-nitrogen, phosphate, chloride, and heavy metals. Comparison of upstream and downstream waters showed that the AFW lowered the concentrations of nitrate-as-nitrogen and phosphate during the growing season by 6.9% and 6.0%, respectively. Nitrate was also removed during the dormant season; however, phosphate was not removed during that time. Plant or microbial uptake of the nutrients are believed to be the dominant mechanisms in the growing season with denitrification serving as the primary pathway in the dormant season. Despite not having a measurable effect on the water temperature, the AFW was an effective means to reduce concentrations of nitrate and phosphorus, decreasing the potential for eutrophication.
ISSN:2306-5338
2306-5338
DOI:10.3390/hydrology8030115