Vegetated Systems for Non-Point Source PollutionControl

摘要

Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water quality problems in the UnitedStates, and its reduction is a major challenge facing society today. Since the approval of the CleanWater Act of 1972, the United States has made great advances in reducing point source pollutionfrom industrial and municipal wastewater systems. Unfortunately, not enough has been done tocontrol nonpoint source or diffuse pollution, resulting in approximately 40% of rivers, lakes, andestuaries being unfit for fishing and swimming. As of 1998 over 290,000 miles of river, almost7,900,000 acres of lake and 12,500 square miles of estuaries failed to meet water quality standards.The integration of biological technologies used by ecologists and agronomists with traditionalengineered pollution control and remediation technologies appears to offer a cost effective, timely,and aesthetically pleasing solution for nonpoint source pollution.In recent years, it has become evident that the establishment and presence of vegetation canmitigate nonpoint source pollution and enhance the remediation of contaminated soils and water.Kansas State University is currently conducting numerous field, mesocosm (column) and laboratorystudies to assess the effectiveness of vegetated systems for NPS pollution control in several settings,from agricultural fields to military training lands and urban centers. Preliminary results indicate thatvegetated bioretention cells (urban NPS pollution management practice) can have a significantimpact on urban stormwater quality and riparian buffer strips reduce sediment and nutrient transportinto streams in both rural and urban areas. Vegetation selection based on climate and requiredfunction in addition to the site physical characteristics are the primary factors effecting systemeffectiveness.