Lab testing phase completed for mechanistic study seeking to open BMP “black box”

SCCWRP and its partners have completed the laboratory testing phase for a three-year study working to characterize the mechanistic inner processes by which biofiltration stormwater BMPs (best management practices) treat stormwater pollutants.

During the laboratory-scale experiments, which were completed in September, researchers built flow-through columns to mimic how contaminants are treated when runoff flows through a biofiltration BMP. Researchers evaluated how specific measurable characteristics of biofiltration media influence the systems’ effectiveness at removing contaminants from runoff. Testing focused on dissolved copper and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The study’s goal is to open the “black box” that has historically surrounded how these BMP systems work for water quality, paving the way for managers to optimize their long-term performance.

For the study’s next phase, which will kick off in November, researchers will develop a mechanistic model and select sites for validating the laboratory findings through field experiments.