CICEET Progress Report for the period 3/16/06 Through 9/15/06

Project Title: Field Demonstration of Wood Filter Technology for Stormwater Treatment
Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Thomas Boving, University of Rhode Island
Additional Investigator(s): Dr. Roger Rowell, University of Wisconsin
Project Start Date: Awarded by CICEET on Nov. 21, ‘05. URI start date: Dec. 28, ‘05.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 2

Objective 1: Field testing of wood filter technology (Progress on task: 3-4 month delay).
A pre-cast concrete tank to house the wood filter modules was delivered to our filed site on May 19, 2006. In the following four weeks, the tank was outfitted with pipes, valves and other plumbing to permit stormwater runoff being pumped through the system. The integrity and functionality of the system (including pumps, electric generator, and flow meter) has been demonstrated. The amount of stormwater that can be pumped through the tank is approximately 20 m3/hr when no filter modules are installed. Base line testing of the field equipment has been completed.

For the first round of field tests with Aspen wood, we have build 12 wood filter modules and have material for another 15 (if needed). Figure 2 shows one of the filter modules next to the concrete tank. We have optimized the design of the wood filter modules to ensure tight fit and minimal bypass flow. Frames have been constructed using Schedule 40 PVC pipe and industrial strength nylon netting. No metal parts are used in the filter construction.

We have received a donation of 1000 lbs Aspen wood from Mr. Tony Johnson, American Excelsior Inc. Currently, we are testing how much wood we can possibly install in the concrete tank. Co-PI Rowell is sending custom made flow cells to the field site, together with wood pellets that his lab developed (estimated time of arrival: mid September). We consider these wood pellets a promising alternative to Aspen wood. Field tests with wood pellets using the tanks developed by Co-PI Rowell will be conducted in parallel to the Aspen wood filters. Beside direct comparison of their performance, this will give us an opportunity to make up some of the delays we have experienced so far.

At the end of the Spring’06 semester, our previous graduate research assistant (Mr. Kevin Lavigne) quit Graduate School for personal reasons. He was replaced by Mr. Josh Klement. Mr. Klement has been working on environmental field projects for several years. He currently receiving training in lab techniques (incl. GC-FID analysis and sample preparation) by Mr. Jim Allen, a graduate student who I hired to develop the lab methods. We do not expect any major delays because of these personnel issues.

Objective 2: Lab studies (Progress on task: on target)
A series of lab studies are already under way and some of the preliminary results are shown below. For instance, Mr. Tony Johnson, American Excelsior Inc, provided us with Aspen wood cutting of several well-defined sizes for studying the effect of wood size on contaminant removal. We have begun to investigate these cuttings for possible effects of wood size on contaminant removal. Also, we have published (see below) a paper on the effect of chemical alterations on PAH sorption to Aspen wood.

With funds from CICEET, we purchased an accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) system to extract organic contaminants from the wood filter matrix. The equipment has been set up and is running now.

Overall, the results/data gathered during this reporting period has not changed the project objectives when compared to our original proposal.

Difficulties
Besides being behind the time line with regard to the field component of our study (reason: delayed start of project), we have not experienced major difficulties.

Project Objectives for Next Reporting Period

Objectives
Continuation of field experiments on Aspen and wood pellets
Continuation of lab studies

Work Plan for Next Reporting Period
See Gnatt chart (Figure 1)

Dissemination Objectives for next reporting period
Finalize special issue and special feature on Urban Hydrology in J. Contaminant Hydrology and J. American Water Resources Association, respectively.

Presentation of aspects of this project during the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Philadelphia (November 2006).

Continue working with the RI Stormwater Advisory Committee.

Preliminary Data
Lab Studies: In addition to the date summarized in the previous progress report, we have found that (abstract of our paper: Environ Sci Technol. 2006 May 15; 40:3279-84):

“Sorption and desorption experiments for phenanthrene and pyrene, using untreated (UTR) and treated (bleaching and hydrolysis) aspen wood fibers, were examined to understand their sorption mechanisms. The wood was characterized by elemental and porosity analysis, solid-state 13C NMR, and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. Bleaching removed aromatic components, yielding the highest polarity and increased porosity, whereas hydrolysis removed a large percentage of hemicellulose and parts of amorphous cellulose, producing a matrix with more aromatic moieties, lower polarity, and higher porosity than that of the UTR wood fibers. All isotherms fitted well to the Freundlich equation and the N values had a decreasing trend from bleached (BL), UTR, low-temperature hydrolyzed to high-temperature hydrolyzed (HHY) wood fibers. BL fibers had the lowest sorption capacity (KOC) for both phenanthrene and pyrene. HHY had the highest KOC because of its high aromatic carbon content and low polarity. The results suggest that aromatic moieties and polarity of wood fibers play significant roles in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) sorption and desorption. Thus, both aromatic components and polarity should be considered when predicting the PAHs sorption/desorption by aspen wood fibers. This study demonstrated that aspen wood fibers are a potential sorbent for PAH and that chemical modifications of the wood matrix can effectively increase its sorption efficiency. These results may have implications for the treatment of stormwater runoff and other PAH contaminated liquids.”

Field Study: Baseline information on the field equipment without wood has been gathered. The data indicate that there is no significant contribution of any target contaminants (PAH, zinc, copper) from the system’s components. Periodic sampling of the Gano Street pond water has commenced in July.

Dissemination
Outreach: PI Boving met with Dr. Collura of the University of Massachusetts Transportation Center, Amherst. Mr. Collura was introduced to the wood filter project and we are now exploring possibilities for demonstrating our stormwater runoff treatment approach to the Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation.

Mr. Anssi Myrtinnen, visiting scholar from the University of Tuebingen, Germany, was been given a tour of the field site in an attempted to reach out to an international audience.

PI Boving is now serving on the Rhode Island Stormwater Advisory Committee, which is concerned with reviewing and possibly revising how stormwater runoff issues are being addressed in the State of Rhode Island. We feel that being part of the Stormwater Advisory Committee is advantageous for promoting wood filter technology is an innovative approach to stormwater treatment, Publications: Together with Dr. Xing and his student Huang Liyuan (U Mass, Amherst), we published a paper on how chemical alterations affects the sorption of PAH by Aspen wood fibers. The paper titled "Sorption of PAH by Aspen Wood Fibers as Affected by Chemical Alterations" has been published in Environmental Science and Technology journal (Environ Sci Technol. 2006 May 15; 40:3279-84).

Also, together with Dr. John McCray, Colorado School of Mines, and Dr. Jack Sharp, University of Texas, Austin, PI Boving has organized a special issue about Urban Hydrology to be published in the J. Contaminant Hydrology. Additionally, a special feature on Urban Hydrology will be published in the J. American Water Resources Association. Both issues will contain papers about pollution problems in urban areas (including a paper by PI Boving on wood filter technology).

Contact with End Users Advisors (EUA): PI Boving has been in regular contact with CONTECH Stormwater Solutions (formerly Stormwater360™), Mr. Randy Charlton and Mr. John Pedrick. Mr. Pedrick helped us to establish contact with Mr. Jake Eaton, Potlatch Cooperation, Seattle, WA. Mr. Eaton’s company has offered us (Popular) wood waste that we consider for further study.

Also, there have been meetings with the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC, Mr. Cute) to discuss the progress of this and other stormwater runoff related projects. This summer, however, Mr. Cute has been assigned new responsibilities within CRMC and may no longer be able to be actively involved with our project.

Patent: A patent application with the U.S. Patent Office is pending.

Expenditures
PI Boving’s expenditures so far are within the range anticipated for the work accomplished to date. Because of higher than anticipated overhead charges, Co-PI Rowells’s expenditures are higher than anticipated. We are confident that this budget shortfall will have no serious consequences on the overall project progress.

End User Advisor Feedback
Randy Charlton, E.I.
Product Development Engineer
CONTECH Stormwater Solutions Inc.
200 Enterprise Dr.
Scarborough, ME 04074
T: 877.907.8676 F: 207.885.9825
charltonr@contech-cpi.com
contechstormwater.com

John Pedrick
Field Research Scientist
CONTECH Stormwater Solutions Inc.
12021-B NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97220
T: 800.548.4667 F: 503.258.3171
pedrickj@contech-cpi.com
contechstormwater.com

1) At this stage, what are the potential applications for this research? Please discuss how you and others could potentially use the technology?
CONTECH Stormwater Solutions™ (formerly Stormwater360™) develops stormwater treatment products. The Stormwater Management StormFilter® market is growing rapidly, geographically as well as in application. Filtration plays an important role in the growth of our company. Thus the need for a multitude of solutions to satisfy customer needs. The StormFilter can be filled with specific media that targets specific pollutants. Media development projects, specifically the research conducted by Dr. Boving and Dr. Rowell aid the understanding of dissolved pollutant characteristics in Stormwater runoff. This remains one of the complex challenges surrounding the Stormwater industry. If the wood filter media technology, regardless of form, provides the expected results then wood filtration technology could find widespread application.

2) What are the key challenges to application of this technology? Please consider the technology itself as well as issues related to regulation, politics, socio-economic pressures, trends in the field etc.
The Stormwater industry is heavily driven by regulation. The regulations also vary greatly by state, county and municipality, thus specific treatment targets are set at a multitude of levels. The existing standards are evolving to cover more pollutants, however this take time. One challenge will be having regulatory standards in place to enable the application of this technology. As this is an unknown factor, the value of the proposed technology would increase if it were capable of meeting the current stormwater standards.

3) What, if anything, has changed about this project’s potential applicability since the last reporting period (not applicable to the first Progress Report)?
The additional media form, i.e. pellets, will increase the potential applicability. This form will be easier to handle as it relates to filling new cartridges and maintaining exhausted ones.

5. PI Response to End User Advisor Feedback:
none