Browsing by Author "Lawler, Desmond F."
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Item Particle size distribution of highway runoff and modification through stormwater treatment(Center for Research in Water Resources, University of Texas at Austin, 2010-02-24T19:39:53Z) Karamalegos, Ana Marie; Barrett, Michael E.; Lawler, Desmond F.; Malina, Joseph F.Item Particles in Surface Waters: Coagulation and Transport(Texas Water Resources Institute, 1991-08) Lawler, Desmond F.; Culkin, Gerald W.Conventional water quality assessment and simulation of particles in natural waters focus on bulk concentrations of the suspended solid phase. These analyses rely directly or indirectly on a linear, 'average particle' approach to describe processes that are nonlinear and highly size-dependent. Size-dependent transport and transformation mechanisms were simulated in this research to identify conditions in which coagulation is important. Explicit finite difference schemes for two-dimensional, laterally-averaged, unsteady particle transport were developed to approximate the size-dependent particle transport processes, which included advection, dispersion, and settling. Coupled exchange of discrete particles between the water column and sediment bed was modeled using size-dependent particle sedimentation and resuspension. Simultaneous particle-particle flocculation was integrated over time in parallel with transport. Model simulations of systems with idealized morphometry and forcing provided greater insight to competing processes that drive particle behavior in natural systems. Application of the model to a real system gave plausible results and suggested explanations for observed conditions.Item Performance comparison of stormwater biofiltration designs(Center for Research in Water Resources, University of Texas at Austin, 2011-04-14) Limouzin, Maƫlle; Lawler, Desmond F.; Barrett, Michael E.A biofiltration system is a stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) that uses a biologically active filtration bed to remove contaminants. This type of BMP is preferred because it provides the opportunity for pollutant uptake (particularly nutrients) by vegetation in an aesthetically pleasing design. The goals of this research, proposed by the City of Austin, Texas, are to assess the role of plants in nutrient removal and to compare the pollutant removal effectiveness of biofiltration systems containing different media, plant species and designs. A laboratory column study was conducted with nineteen experiments using synthetic stormwater and one experiment using real stormwater. The results of this study show a significant improvement in nutrient removal with the presence of plants and a submerged zone with a carbon source in the filter. The columns without plants were found to export up to twice the nitrate/nitrite input, whereas the columns with plants showed significant removal of all nutrients (Nitrate 30-50%, Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen 65-85%, Total Phosphorus 80-90%). The difference between the two biofiltration media was not significant. Metals (Copper, Lead, Zinc) removal by all columns was very high (>95%) compared to similar field studies. Total Suspended Solids removal remained high through the whole set of experiments for all the columns (85- 95%).Item Reducing turbidity of construction site runoff via coagulation with polyacrylamide and chitosan(Center for Research in Water Resources, University of Texas at Austin, 2013-03-15) Rounce, David Robert; Lawler, Desmond F.; Barrett, Michael E.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of developing a nationwide standard for turbidity in construction site runoff. It is widely expected that this standard cannot be met with conventional erosion and sediment control measures; consequently, innovative practices for managing sediment on construction sites must be developed. The objective of this research was to develop an understanding of how soil characteristics and polymer properties affect the amount of turbidity reduction that can be achieved through flocculation. The polymers used were PAMs, a proprietary product, and chitosan. The charge density of the PAMs ranged from 0% to 50% and the molecular weights ranged from 0.2 to 14 Mg/mol. A protocol for creating modified synthetic stormwater runoff for soil samples was developed and used on soils from seven construction sites. Particle size distributions were used to compare the modified synthetic stormwater runoff with grab samples of stormwater from one site and showed the synthetic runoff was representative of the actual runoff. Flocculation tests were performed on the synthetic runoffs with PAM and chitosan doses from 0.03 to 10 mg/L. The non-ionic PAM, proprietary product, and chitosan were found to be the most effective at reducing the turbidity of all the synthetic runoff below 200 NTU. The high molecular weight anionic PAMs were effective on only two of the seven synthetic runoff samples. Hardness tests were performed indicating interparticle bridging to be the bonding mechanism of the PAM. Electrophoretic mobility tests were performed on two of the soil suspensions and indicated the bonding mechanism of PAM to be interparticle bridging, and the bonding mechanism of chitosan to be a combination of charge neutralization and interparticle bridging. Tests showed as the charge density of the PAM increased, their effectiveness decreased.