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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #400184
Research Project: Assessment of Sediment and Chemical Transport Processes for Developing and Improving Agricultural Conservation Practices

Location: National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory

Title: Techno-economic analysis of phosphorus removal structures

Author
item SCOTT, ISIS - Purdue University
item SCOTT, FRANCISCO - Federal Reserve Bank
item MCCARTY, TANER - Utah State University
item Penn, Chad

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2023
Publication Date: 8/15/2023
Citation: Scott, I., Scott, F., McCarty, T., Penn, C.J. 2023. Techno-economic analysis of phosphorus removal structures. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c02696.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c02696

Interpretive Summary: Phosphorus (P) removal structures are a best management practice for improving water quality by filtering dissolved P before it enters a surface water body. However, there are a variety of styles, sizes, and scenarios in which P removal structures can be constructed, and each will have an impact on cost. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost efficiency of P removal by P removal structures under several scenarios that include treatment of tile drains, surface water, large and small structures, and three different filter media. Cost evaluations considered materials, labor, filter media, and transportation, and analyzed what aspect of each scenario represented the most cost. Structures constructed with filter media that used by-products such as steel turnings were the most economical compared to manufactured filter media, especially when used in the form of a modified blind-inlet, which resulted in the least cost per mass of P removed. Overall, the cost of P removal was similar to that of waste-water treatment, and larger P removal structures had a higher cost efficiency compared to smaller units, while cartridge filter systems were both expensive and non-feasible.

Technical Abstract: Excess phosphorus (P) is a major pollutant in aquatic systems with several efforts and tools developed for mitigation. Phosphorus removal structures, landscape-scale filters containing media with high chemical affinity for dissolved P, were developed to sequester dissolved P from runoff, drainage, and wastewater. While the environmental benefits of P removal structures are well documented, the cost-effectiveness of such structures is still lacking. In light of the government’s new policies to reduce P, we investigated the cost-effectiveness of these structures taking into account the many Phosphorus Sorption Materials (PSMs) available in the market. We calculated deterministic and stochastic average cost per kilogram (kg) of P removed by the most prominent P removal structures under several empirically prevalent scenarios. Absent constraints, we found that 1) larger structures that use 2) regionally available PSMs that are 3) by-products of industrial production (e.g., metal shavings and steel slag) rather than manufactured are more cost effective. The average cost of P removal for most structures is comparable to the average cost for wastewater treatment. This work will provide further information to guide the optimal implementation of P removal structures for conservationists.