Water quality characterization of storm and irrigation runoff from a container nursery

Mohammad Nayeb Yazdi; David J Sample; Durelle Scott; James S Owen; Mehdi Ketabchy; Nasrin Alamdari

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.326

Water quality characterization of storm and irrigation runoff from a container nursery

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Jun 1:667:166-178. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.326. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Authors

Mohammad Nayeb Yazdi¹, David J Sample², Durelle Scott³, James S Owen⁴, Mehdi Ketabchy⁵, Nasrin Alamdari⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological System Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States. Electronic address: mnyazdi@vt.edu.
² Department of Biological System Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States. Electronic address: dsample@vt.edu.
³ Department of Biological System Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States. Electronic address: dscott@vt.edu.
⁴ School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Centre, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States. Electronic address: jsowen@vt.edu.
⁵ Department of Biological System Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States; Transportation Business Line, Gannett Fleming, 4097 Monument Corner Drive, Suite 500, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States. Electronic address: kmehdi87@vt.edu.
⁶ Department of Biological System Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States. Electronic address: alamdari@vt.edu.

PMID: 30831361
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.326

Abstract

Commercial nurseries grow specialty crops for resale using a variety of methods, including containerized production, utilizing soilless substrates, on a semipervious production surface. These "container" nurseries require daily water application and continuous availability of mineral nutrients. These factors can generate significant nutrients [total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP)] and sediment [total suspended solids (TSS)] in runoff, potentially contributing to eutrophication of downstream water bodies. Runoff is collected in large ponds known as tailwater recovery basins for treatment and reuse or discharge to receiving streams. We characterized TSS, TN, and TP, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH in runoff from a 5.2 ha production portion of a 200-ha commercial container nursery during storm and irrigation events. Results showed a direct correlation between TN and TP, runoff and TSS, TN and EC, and between flow and pH. The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to characterize runoff quantity and quality of the site. We found during irrigation events that simulated event mean concentrations (EMCs) of TSS, TN, and TP were 30, 3.1 and 0.35 mg·L^-1, respectively. During storm events, TSS, TN and TP EMCs were 880, 3.7, and 0.46 mg·L^-1, respectively. EMCs of TN and TP were similar to that of urban runoff; however, the TSS EMC from nursery runoff was 2-4 times greater. The average loading of TSS, TN and TP during storm events was approximately 900, 35 and 50 times higher than those of irrigation events, respectively. Based on a 10-year SWMM simulation (2008-2018) of runoff from the same nursery, annual TSS, TN and TP load per ha during storm events ranged from 9230 to 13,300, 65.8 to 94.0 and 9.00 to 12.9 kg·ha^-1·yr^-1, respectively. SWMM was able to characterize runoff quality and quantity reasonably well. Thus, it is suitable for characterizing runoff loadings from container nurseries.

Keywords: Container nursery; Eutrophication; Irrigation runoff; Storm runoff, water quality, Storm Water Management Model (SWMM).