Browsing by Subject "Nutrient pollution"
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Item Open Access Business Opportunities for Water Pollution Remedies using Microbiomes(2020-04-24) Bailey, StefanieWater pollution occurs for many different reasons, both anthropogenic and natural. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2008/2009 “46% of our rivers and streams are in poor biological condition. Poor biological condition can lead to loss of fishing and recreational opportunities.” The decreased water quality of the US water bodies is a growing public cost. The EPA has multiple grants to help municipalities treat water bodies and water treatment is a multi-billion dollar industry. Microbiome is a promising treatment option due to advanced processes such as CRISPR technology that edit genes to create the desired outcome. With the ability to create specialized solutions, microbe technology companies must analyze the market opportunities within the water pollution industries to determine if the research and development costs are worth expected future returns. This report will look at three water treatment industries; hydrofracking wastewater, wastewater reuse and recycling, and nutrient pollution in freshwater. The analysis will determine if there is an opportunity for a biological treatment in these industries and if there is a financial benefit to the R&D and commercialization of such a product.Item Open Access Examining data gaps in best management practice implementation and monitoring in the Chesapeake Bay: a multi-method approach(2024-04-26) McClaugherty, Megan; Brentjens, Emma; Eastman, NicoleThe Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, experiences substantial levels of nutrient pollution. Despite widespread implementation of best management practices (BMPs), agencies have acknowledged that the Bay will not reach its nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment reduction goals for 2025. To understand the disconnect between BMPs and achieving water quality goals, we focused on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, a largely agricultural region. Using a multi-method approach, we examined water quality trends, determined surface water connectivity to agricultural land, and interviewed experts to identify data gaps and barriers to implementing BMPs and assessing their impacts on water quality. We conclude that an insufficient monitoring network, lack of accessible data, and inadequate resource allocation are inhibiting a more comprehensive approach to water quality management.Item Open Access Measuring the Economic Value of Nutrient Assimilation in the Upper Neuse(2012-04-18) Macias, AdrianPrivate land trusts and public agencies, such as NC Division of Parks and Recreation and NC Wildlife Resources Commission, have traditionally measured their work in “bucks and acres.” Both the public demand for targeted investments in conservation and emerging markets for nitrogen and phosphorus offsets are pushing conservation land managers to measure the ecosystem services for both new and existing projects. By quantifying these benefits, land managers hope to increase the perceived value of conservation land and the services they provide. The Upper Neuse River Basin, which supplies a majority of the potable water required by the Raleigh-Durham Triangle region, is the focal point of this report. In addition to the competing water consumption demands of the area, such as agriculture, industrial, and landscaping, the water supply is being stressed by nutrient loading. Excessive nutrient loading can disrupt the ecological balance in a watershed, reducing water quality, increasing algae blooms, degrading the aesthetic value of water bodies, and threatening fish and wildlife. Impaired waters are also more difficult to treat, increasing costs for water treatment plants downstream. It has been established that vegetated riparian buffers can help keep water supplies clean by filtering out surface and subsurface pollution. However, development pressures have led to an undervaluing of this ecosystem service. By 2030, the region’s population is expected to nearly double, with an additional 51,000 acres of open space and rural land lost to development. In the face of these development pressures, conservation groups and land managers are challenged with making an economic case for conservation. This report and the recommendation it generates are intended to provide a “way forward” to land managers and land trust organizations seeking to economically quantify the nutrient assimilation services provided by conservation land.Item Open Access Nutrient Trading in South Carolina: A Roadmap for Implementation(2023-04-26) Stewart, JillNutrient pollution is a pervasive problem in South Carolina lakes, resulting in costly mandates for infrastructure improvement via traditional reductions at the point source. Allowing the introduction of mechanisms to allow for “markets” of pollution abatement beyond the point source can prove cost effective. This project undertook a review of the drivers which brought about nutrient trading schemes in Virginia and North Carolina, and the resultant statutory and regulatory framework established by the states to implement. The findings have culminated in a potential logistical and regulatory framework for facilitating nutrient trading in South Carolina. The resultant project will serve as a resource guide for staff of the state’s Department of Health & Environmental Control to utilize in future rulemaking.Item Open Access Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Long-Term Water Quality Data for the Pamlico River Estuary, North Carolina(2015-04-24) Ludwig-Monty, SarahEXECUTIVE SUMMARY North Carolina has experienced significant growth in population, development, and industrial farming that are responsible for delivering unprecedented amounts of pollutants into its freshwater and coastal waterways. The Pamlico River Estuary has experienced reports of consistent fish kills since the 1970’s which are identified to be a result of eutrophic conditions caused by excessive nutrient loading. East coast commercial and recreational fishing is largely dependent upon this system’s ability to provide habitat for the breeding, refuge, and feeding for a large variety of aquatic species. In 1989 the estuary was designated as a nutrient sensitive waterway which prompted the N.C. Division of Water Quality to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nitrogen and phosphorous. The TMDL was approved in 1995 and called for a 30% reduction of instream total nitrogen loading and no increase in total phosphorous loading in order to prevent 90% of the chlorophyll a standard exceedances within the estuary. Nearly twenty years into the state's nutrient reduction program, the goals of the TMDL have yet to be met. This project uses a previously un-evaluated data set of water quality parameters over a 25-year period in the Pamlico River Estuary to understand the patterns and causes of continued impairment in that ecosystem. Analysis of chlorophyll a and nitrogen concentrations produced the following main results: Key Findings of Chlorophyll a Analysis: • Majority of chlorophyll a impairment occurs within the middle to upper regions of the estuary. • Chlorophyll a standard exceedance was determined to occur in equal magnitude year round. • Chlorophyll a concentrations are inversely correlated with incoming river discharge in the upper regions of the estuary. Key Findings of Nitrogen Analysis: • Trend analysis identified significant decreasing trends in ammonium and nitrate and significant increasing trends in dissolved organic nitrogen. • Total nitrogen composition dominance shifted from nitrate to dissolved organic nitrogen in the early 2000s. • Nitrogen concentrations are significantly influenced by both season and incoming river discharge. Chlorophyll a impairment is still prevalent throughout the estuary despite the adoption of nutrient reduction strategies in the 1990s. The observed shifts in total nitrogen composition could have ecological impacts on phytoplankton population composition, as well as effects of higher trophic levels and nutrient cycling within the estuary. The nitrogen reduction goals of the Tar-Pamlico TMDL have likely not been achieved due to the increases observed in dissolved organic nitrogen concentrations potentially coupled with inadequate decreases in nitrate and ammonium in order to produce decreasing trends in total nitrogen. Greater implementation and stricter enforcement of non-point source nutrient reduction programs are needed, with specific regard to poultry and hog industrial livestock operations. Research into the forms of dissolved organic nitrogen that are present within the estuary are needed to understand the nitrogen cycling and ecological dynamics that occur as well as to provide insight into potential sources responsible for increasing concentrations within the estuary. North Carolina regulators need to address the inability for current nutrient reduction programs to adequately reduce nutrient loading in order to improve conditions within the Pamlico River Estuary and protect the natural resources this ecosystem provides.Item Open Access Water Quality Monitoring for Environmental Assessment and Science Education(2019-04-26) Rowland, Kelsey; Powers, Ian; Vazquez Da Silva, LorenaNutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, are a chronic source of water pollution that threaten aquatic ecosystems and water supply across North Carolina. The Research Triangle, located in the North Carolina’s Piedmont region, is particularly susceptible to nutrient pollution caused by rapid urbanization. Urban landscapes, dominated by impervious surfaces and stormwater drains, quickly transport nutrients into waterways during storm events. There, they overstimulate plant growth and deplete oxygen from the reservoirs, potentially leading to fish kills and the associated revenue losses from fishing and tourism industries, diminished property values, human health impacts, and increased mitigation and water treatment costs. Using the water system at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina as a case study, we explored the impacts of the urban environment on nitrogen concentrations and overall water quality at the museum. The goals for this study were to further the collective understanding of urban nutrient pollution and to educate museum guests about a water quality problem that impacts their own environment. To achieve these goals, we conducted a water quality monitoring program, a geospatial analysis, and a survey of museum guests. We sampled water at five locations on the museum’s property, including the main pond, an intermittent pond, two intermittent streams, and the Ellerbe Creek, during four storm events, including Hurricane Florence, from September to November 2018. Comparing these results to three baseline (dry) sampling events, we evaluated the impacts of storm events on nitrogen concentrations and other water quality indicators. Results of the water quality monitoring confirmed our hypothesis that nitrogen levels would be augmented by storm events and the pond would have lower concentrations of nitrates and ammonium due to a higher retention time. A geospatial analysis confirmed that the Ellerbe Creek watershed is highly urbanized (29.6%), indicating that the urban environment influences nutrient loading in this region. The survey of museum guests, designed to gauge knowledge of the water cycle and water quality and interest in a water-related exhibit, showed a high interest in an exhibit and a general awareness of water pollution, though a lack of formal education about water quality. We hope this research can guide future water quality monitoring initiatives and water quality educational activities at the museum.