Analysis of Pollutant Sources and Dynamics in an Urban Stream in Central Pennsylvania
Open Access
Author:
Stofanak, Rachel
Area of Honors:
Biological Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Lauren Mc Phillips, Thesis Supervisor Ali Demirci, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Water quality Hysteresis analysis nutrients stormwater
Abstract:
Urban streams tend to experience high flows and high loads of pollutants over short periods of time during storm events. When an urban stream is fed by additional sources, such as underground springs, identifying the sources of nitrogen and other pollutants becomes increasingly complex. The purpose of this study is to utilize high-frequency monitoring to determine sources and dynamics of nitrogen and other pollutants in an urban stream with underground springs contributing to flow. High-frequency data on nitrogen, total suspended solids, and total organic carbon was collected every 15 minutes between September 2022 and February 2023, and grab samples were collected during baseflow and storm flow conditions to validate the high-frequency data and find concentrations of additional chemical compounds. Results indicate a dilution pattern for nitrogen during storm events and a flushing pattern for total suspended solids and total organic carbon, indicating that the water from the springs has a higher N concentration which is diluted during storm events, while stormwater has a higher total suspended solids (TSS) and total organic carbon (TOC) concentration that is flushed into the stream during storm events. This information can be used to inform future management recommendations for the surrounding watershed and the areas contributing to the underground springs, as well as potential management interventions along the stream.
