Presenter(s)

Jacquelyn K. Amaya

Comments

Presentation: 9:00-10:15, Kennedy Union Ballroom

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Description

This research addresses the issue of eutrophication at the University of Dayton’s Old River Park (ORP) and measures the efficacy of the current management method, compared to an alternative management method implementing Floating Constructed Wetlands (FCWs). Our primary objective was to measure water quality of the ORP oxbow under current bimonthly copper sulfate algaecide treatment and compare it to the water quality of the oxbow water under an alternative treatment method, the FCW. To do this we sampled water quality parameters which included pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonium, phosphorus, specific conductivity, total dissolved solids, and temperature in the oxbow and the treatment tanks containing oxbow water during the months of June, July and August 2023. Our treatment tanks (n=5) included tanks with just oxbow water, tanks with oxbow water plus a FCW, tanks with oxbow water with added phosphorus, and tanks with oxbow water, added phosphorus, and a FCW. We also collected plant tissue samples from plants in the oxbow as well as in treatment tanks and determined individual nutrient contents of each plant. Finally, we took samples of algae from the oxbow and from each treatment tank to identify what species of algae were present in various treatment groups. We found that across all treatments the tanks with FCWs had the lowest levels of nitrogen, which were similar to the levels of nitrate in the oxbow being treated with copper sulfate. The plant tissue samples revealed plants in the oxbow are absorbing high amounts of copper, nitrogen, and phosphorus, presumably as a result from the copper sulfate treatments. Lastly, the oxbow and treatment tanks which lacked FCWs had more harmful kinds of algae present than treatment tanks with the FCWs. These results show that FCWs would be a sustainable alternative method for treating eutrophication at ORP.

Publication Date

4-17-2024

Project Designation

Independent Research

Primary Advisor

Ryan William Reihart

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Floating Constructed Wetlands keep Cyanobacteria Levels at bay

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