Hydrologic and water quality performance of a laboratory scale bioretention unit

Highlights

Peak of surface runoff was lagged andclipped by BRU with turf grass and B. Sinica.

Lag of peak and extent of clipping wasinfluenced flow regime of inflow and plants grown.

TN, TP and COD were removed by filtrationof the media and bio-degradation of reservoir layer.

Infiltration rate and storage depth couldbe transferred key parameters for engineering design.

Abstract

A bioretention unit (BRU) or cell is a green infrastructurepractice that is widely used as a low impact development (LID) techniquefor urban stormwater management. Bioretention is considered a goodfit for use in China’s sponge city construction projects. However,studies on bioretention design, which incorporates site-specific environmentaland social-economic conditions in China are still very much needed.In this study, an experimental BRU, consisted of two cells plantedwith Turf grass and Buxus sinica,was tested with eighteen synthesizedstorm events. Three levels (high, median, low) of flows and concentrationsof pollutants (TN, TP and COD) were fed to the BRU and the performanceof which was examined. The results showed that the BRU not only delayedand lowered the peak flows but also removed TN, TP and COD in variousways and to different extents. Under the high, medium and low inflowrate conditions, the outflow peaks were delayed for at least 13 minutesand lowered at least 52%. The two cells stored a maximum of 231 mmand 265 mm for turf grass and Buxus sinica, respectively. For both cells the total depth available for storagewas 1,220 mm, including a maximum 110 mm deep ponding area. The largestinfiltrate rate was 206 mm/h for both cells with different plants.For the eighteen events, TP and COD were removed at least 60% and42% by mean concentration, and 65% and 49% by total load, respectively.In the reservoir layer, the efficiency ratio of removal of TN, TPand COD were 52%, 8% and 38%, respectively, within 5 days after runoffevents stopped. Furthermore, the engineering implication of the hydrologicaland water quality performances in sponge city construction projectsis discussed.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Bioretention unit / Spongecity / Stormwater runoff / Peak reduction / Pollutant removal

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Mega-Projects of ScienceResearch for Water Environment Improvement (No. 2014ZX07204-006) andHubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Water ResourcesSecurity for supporting the study. Also, partial funding was providedby the UESPA Urban Watershed Management Branch in Edison, N.J., USAand the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

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