First Advisor

Gwynn R. Johnson

Date of Publication

1-1-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Civil & Environmental Engineering

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Language

English

Subjects

Green roofs (Gardening), Soil amendments -- Environmental aspects, Urban runoff -- Environmental aspects

DOI

10.15760/etd.47

Physical Description

1 online resource (x, 107 p.) ; ill. (some col.)

Abstract

As the numbers of installed greenroofs continue to grow internationally, designing greenroof growing media to reduce the amount of nutrients in the stormwater runoff is becoming essential. Biochar, a carbon-net-negative soil amendment, has been promoted for its ability to retain nutrients in soils and increase soil fertility. This study evaluated the effect on water quality of greenroof runoff after adding biochar to a typical extensive greenroof soil. Prototype greenroof trays with and without 7% biochar (by weight) were planted with sedum or ryegrass, with barren soil trays for controls. The greenroof trays were subjected to two sequential 2.9 in/hr rainfall events using a rainfall simulator. Runoff from the rainfall events was collected and evaluated for total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate, phosphate, total organic carbon, and inorganic carbon. Greenroof trays containing biochar showed lower quantities of nutrients in the stormwater runoff compared to trays without biochar. Biochar-amended soil with and without plants showed a 3- to 25-fold decrease in release of nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations, as well as a decrease in phosphate and total phosphorus concentrations release into the rainfall runoff. Phosphorus results from trays planted with sedum indicate that sedum interacted with both soils to cause a decrease of phosphorus in the greenroof runoff. In correlation with a visual effect in turbidity, biochar-amended soil showed a reduction of total organic carbon in the runoff by a factor of 3 to 4 for all soil and plant trays. Inorganic carbon was similar for all tests showing that inorganic carbon neither reacted with, nor was retained by, biochar in the soil. The addition of biochar to greenroof soil is an effective way to retain nutrients in a greenroof soil, reduce future fertilizer demands, and improve the water quality of the stormwater runoff by reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and total organic carbon concentrations in the runoff water.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Comments

Portland State University. Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/4740

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