Estimates of Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, and Total Suspended SolidsLoadings to Tampa Bay, Florida

摘要

The overall objective of the work described below was to develop technically-defensible estimates of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) loadings to Tampa Bay for existing conditions, defined for this study as 1985 through 1991. Five categories of potential major sources of TN, TP, and TSS loading were identified. These included nonpoint sources (stormwater runoff and base flow), point sources (domestic and industrial), atmospheric deposition (wetfall-rainfall and dryfall-dust, delivered to the open water estuary), groundwater, and fugitive emissions (unpermitted losses during handling and shipping of phosphate rock and fertilizer products). Point source contributions to the total load were estimated by using monthly operating records from Florida Department of Environmental Protection and US Environmental Protection Agency permitting files.