CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 32Urban Stormwater Management SolutionsAdsorption and biosorption for pollutant removalEnvironmental remediation with nanomaterials

Black carbon-amended engineered Media filters for improved treatment of stormwater runoff

Open access
Pritchard, James Conrad, Hawkins, Kathleen Mills, Cho, Yeo-Myoung, Spahr, Stephanie, Struck, Scott D., Higgins, Christopher P., Luthy, Richard G.·2023·ACS Environmental Au
DOI 10.1021/acsenvironau.2c00037PMC PMC9856624
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Urban stormwater runoff is a significant driver of surface water quality impairment. Recently, attention has been drawn to potential beneficial use of urban stormwater runoff, including augmenting drinking water supply in water-stressed areas. However, beneficial use relies on improved treatment of stormwater runoff to remove mobile dissolved metals and trace organic contaminants (TrOCs). This study assesses six engineered media mixtures consisting of sand, zeolite, high-temperature gasification biochar, and regenerated activated carbon (RAC) for removing a suite of co-contaminants comprising five metals, three herbicides, four pesticides, a corrosion inhibitor, six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), five polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This long-term laboratory-scale column study uses a novel approach to generate reproducible synthetic stormwater that incorporates catch basin material and straw-derived dissolved organic carbon. Higher flow conditions (20 cm hr –1 ), larger sized media (0.42–1.68 mm), and downflow configuration with outlet control increase the relevance of this study to better enable implementation in the field. Biochar- and RAC-amended engineered media filters removed nearly all of the TrOCs in the effluent over the course of three months of continuous flow (480 empty bed volumes), while sample ports spaced at 25% and 50% along the column depth provide windows to observe contaminant transport. Biochar provided greater benefit to TrOC removal than RAC on a mass basis. This study used relatively high concentrations of contaminants and low biochar and RAC content to observe contaminant transport. Performance in the field is likely to be significantly better with higher biochar- and RAC-content filters and lower ambient stormwater contaminant concentrations. This study provides proof-of-concept for biochar- and RAC-amended engineered media filters operated at a flow rate of 20 cm hr –1 for removing dissolved TrOCs and metals and offers insights on the performance of biochar and RAC for improved stormwater treatment and field trials.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1021/acsenvironau.2c00037

Cites

7 of 7 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • To date, few studies have assessed PFAS accumulation, transport, and treatment through GSI.

    “to date no studies have assessed PFAS accumulation, transportation, and treatment through GSI”

    From Review of emerging contaminants in green stormwater infrastructure: antibiotic resistance genes, microplastics, tire wear particles, PFAS, and temperature (2024) · cites this paper as Pritchard et al., 2023

    The verbatim citing sentence says that no studies have assessed PFAS transport and treatment through GSI. The paper’s Introduction describes its own laboratory-scale study of engineered stormwater filter media, and its PFASs Removal section reports PFAS transport through the columns and their removal. It does not establish how many studies have examined accumulation or field-installed GSI, but its own findings run contrary to the unqualified claim that there are no studies. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Increased infiltration rates (decreased contact time) likely negatively impacted long-term PFAS retention due to kinetically limited sorption in fast-flow practices.

    “indicating that increased infiltration rates (i.e., decreased contact time) likely negatively impacted long-term PFAS retention due to their kinetically limited sorption in such fast-flow practices (Tables S1-1 and S1-2), as previously revealed by other studies.29,30”

    From Occurrence, Concentration, and Distribution of 35 PFASs and Their Precursors Retained in 20 Stormwater Biofilters (2024) · cites this paper as [30]

    The PFASs Removal section (page unavailable) says zeolite improved PFAS removal, likely by increasing contact time. Practical Implications (page unavailable) says sorption kinetics become important at higher flow rates. The study did not test whether increasing infiltration rates reduced long-term PFAS retention; its columns were maintained at a target flow rate. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The negative correlation of SSA with PFAS concentrations was likely due to generally low PFAS concentrations and/or cocontamination effects (e.g., DOC and other OMPs competing for sorption sites) making SSA irrelevant for sorption sites on soil particles.

    “likely due to the generally low PFAS concentrations and/or cocontamination effects (e.g., DOC and other OMPs competing for sorption sites)30,45 making SSA irrelevant for sorption sites on soil particles”

    From Occurrence, Concentration, and Distribution of 35 PFASs and Their Precursors Retained in 20 Stormwater Biofilters (2024) · cites this paper as [30]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • If macropores become partially blocked, the adsorption rate and pollutant Re % significantly decrease.

    “If these macropores become partially blocked, the adsorption rate and pollutant Re % significantly decrease (Fahmi et al., 2018; Mohanty et al., 2018; Pritchard et al., 2023).”

    From Critical field evaluations of biochar-amended stormwater biofilters for PFAS and other organic micropollutant removals (2025) · cites this paper as Pritchard et al., 2023

    In Results and Discussion, ‘Hydrophilic TrOC Removal’ (page unavailable), the paper says DOC can block pores and inhibit contaminant sorption, while larger pores may enable faster transport and lessen inhibition of removal. It does not specifically establish that partial blockage of macropores significantly decreases both adsorption rate and pollutant removal percentage. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Extensive amounts of small-sized biochar may reduce hydraulic conductivity, limiting the biochar's longevity.

    “Extensive amounts of small-sized biochar may also reduce hydraulic”

    From Critical field evaluations of biochar-amended stormwater biofilters for PFAS and other organic micropollutant removals (2025) · cites this paper as Pritchard et al., 2023

    The Practical Implications section (page unavailable) says biochar’s friability and reduced hydraulic conductivity may limit how much can be used in a filter and, in turn, its potential treatment life. The paper does not specifically link that concern to small-sized biochar; its particle-size table in the Introduction does not establish such a relationship. It also describes the filter’s treatment life, rather than the biochar material’s longevity. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 45

  1. Talib A.; Randhir T. O. Climate change and land use impacts on hydrologic processes of watershed systems. Journal of Water and Climate Change 2017, 8, 363– 374. 10.2166/wcc.2017.064. · DOI
  2. Blair A.; Sanger D. Climate Change and Watershed Hydrology-Heavier Precipitation Influence on Stormwater Runoff. Geosciences 2016, 6, 34 10.3390/geosciences6030034. · DOI
  3. Luthy R. G.; Sharvelle S.; Dillon P. Urban Stormwater to Enhance Water Supply. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 53, 5534– 5542. 10.1021/acs.est.8b05913. 30807122 · DOI · Paper page
  4. Pinasseau L.; Wiest L.; Volatier L.; Mermillod-Blondin F.; Vulliet E. Emerging polar pollutants in groundwater: Potential impact of urban stormwater infiltration practices. Environ. Pollut. 2020, 266, 115387 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115387. 32829126 · DOI
  5. Okaikue-Woodi F. E. K.; Cherukumilli K.; Ray J. R. A critical review of contaminant removal by conventional and emerging media for urban stormwater treatment in the United States. Water Res. 2020, 187, 116434 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116434. 32998096 · DOI · Paper page
  6. Fassman E. Stormwater BMP treatment performance variability for sediment and heavy metals. Sep. Purif. Technol. 2012, 84, 95– 103. 10.1016/j.seppur.2011.06.033. · DOI
  7. Sabin L. D.; Lim J. H.; Stolzenbach K. D.; Schiff K. C. Contribution of trace metals from atmospheric deposition to stormwater runoff in a small impervious urban catchment. Water Res. 2005, 39, 3929– 3937. 10.1016/j.watres.2005.07.003. 16112162 · DOI
  8. Page D.; Vanderzalm J.; Kumar A.; Cheng K. Y.; Kaksonen A. H.; Simpson S. Risks of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) for Sustainable Water Recycling via Aquifers. Water 2019, 11, 1737 10.3390/w11081737. · DOI · Paper page
  9. Fletcher T. D.; Shuster W.; Hunt W. F.; Ashley R.; Butler D.; Arthur S.; Trowsdale S.; Barraud S.; Semadeni-Davies A.; Bertrand-Krajewski J. L.; et al. SUDS, LID, BMPs, WSUD and more - The evolution and application of terminology surrounding urban drainage. Urban Water Journal 2015, 12, 525– 542. 10.1080/1573062X.2014.916314. · DOI · Paper page
  10. Villarreal E. L.; Semadeni-Davies A.; Bengtsson L. Inner city stormwater control using a combination of best management practices. Ecological Engineering 2004, 22, 279– 298. 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2004.06.007. · DOI
  11. Wolfand J. M.; Seller C.; Bell C. D.; Cho Y. M.; Oetjen K.; Hogue T. S.; Luthy R. G. Occurrence of Urban-Use Pesticides and Management with Enhanced Stormwater Control Measures at the Watershed Scale. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 53, 3634– 3644. 10.1021/acs.est.8b05833. 30900451 · DOI
  12. Ray J. R.; Shabtai I. A.; Teixido M.; Mishael Y. G.; Sedlak D. L. Polymer-clay composite geomedia for sorptive removal of trace organic compounds and metals in urban stormwater. Water Res. 2019, 157, 454– 462. 10.1016/j.watres.2019.03.097. 30981976 · DOI · Paper page
  13. Cederlund H.; Borjesson E.; Stenstrom J. Effects of a wood-based biochar on the leaching of pesticides chlorpyrifos, diuron, glyphosate and MCPA. Journal of Environmental Management 2017, 191, 28– 34. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.01.004. 28086139 · DOI
  14. Sun Y. Q.; Chen S. S.; Lau A. Y. T.; Tsang D. C. W.; Mohanty S. K.; Bhatnagar A.; Rinklebe J.; Lin K. Y. A.; Ok Y. S. Waste-derived compost and biochar amendments for stormwater treatment in bioretention column: Co-transport of metals and colloids. J. Hazard. Mater. 2020, 383, 121243 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121243. 31563764 · DOI
  15. Ulrich B. A.; Im E. A.; Werner D.; Higgins C. P. Biochar and Activated Carbon for Enhanced Trace Organic Contaminant Retention in Stormwater Infiltration Systems. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, 49, 6222– 6230. 10.1021/acs.est.5b00376. 25909951 · DOI · Paper page
  16. Ulrich B. A.; Vignola M.; Edgehouse K.; Werner D.; Higgins C. P. Organic Carbon Amendments for Enhanced Biological Attenuation of Trace Organic Contaminants in Biochar-Amended Stormwater Biofilters. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017, 51, 9184– 9193. 10.1021/acs.est.7b01164. 28628297 · DOI
  17. Boehm A. B.; Bell C. D.; Fitzgerald N. J. M.; Gallo E.; Higgins C. P.; Hogue T. S.; Luthy R. G.; Portmann A. C.; Ulrich B. A.; Wolfand J. M. Biochar-augmented biofilters to improve pollutant removal from stormwater - can they improve receiving water quality?. Environmental Science-Water Research & Technology 2020, 6, 1520– 1537. 10.1039/D0EW00027B. · DOI
  18. Crittenden J. C.; Borchardt J. H.; Montgomery Watson Harza (Firm); MWH’s water treatment principles and design; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, New Jeresy, 2012.
  19. Mohanty S. K.; Valenca R.; Berger A. W.; Yu I. K. M.; Xiong X. N.; Saunders T. M.; Tsang D. C. W. Plenty of room for carbon on the ground: Potential applications of biochar for stormwater treatment. Sci. Total Environ. 2018, 625, 1644– 1658. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.037. 29996460 · DOI · Paper page
  20. Wang F.; Sun H. W.; Ren X. H.; Liu Y. R.; Zhu H. K.; Zhang P.; Ren C. Effects of humic acid and heavy metals on the sorption of polar and apolar organic pollutants onto biochars. Environ. Pollut. 2017, 231, 229– 236. 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.08.023. 28802992 · DOI
  21. Pitcher S. K.; Slade R. C. T.; Ward N. I. Heavy metal removal from motorway stormwater using zeolites. Sci. Total Environ. 2004, 334, 161– 166. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.04.035. 15504502 · DOI
  22. Reddy K. R.; Xie T.; Dastgheibi S. Removal of heavy metals from urban stormwater runoff using different filter materials. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2014, 2, 282– 292. 10.1016/j.jece.2013.12.020. 24410683 · DOI
  23. Prabhukumar G.; Bhupal G. S.; Pagilla K. R. Laboratory Evaluation of Sorptive Filtration Media Mixtures for Targeted Pollutant Removals from Simulated Stormwater. Water Environment Research 2015, 87, 789– 795. 10.2175/106143015X14362865226239. 26961473 · DOI
  24. Grebel J. E.; Mohanty S. K.; Torkelson A. A.; Boehm A. B.; Higgins C. P.; Maxwell R. M.; Nelson K. L.; Sedlak D. L. Engineered Infiltration Systems for Urban Stormwater Reclamation. Environmental Engineering Science 2013, 30, 437– 454. 10.1089/ees.2012.0312. · DOI
  25. Portmann A. C.; LeFevre G. H.; Hankawa R.; Werner D.; Higgins C. P. The regenerative role of biofilm in the removal of pesticides from stormwater in biochar-amended biofilters. Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol. 2022, 1092 10.1039/d1ew00870f. · DOI · Paper page
  26. Portmann A. C.; LeFevre G. H.; Hankawa R.; Werner D.; Higgins C. P. The regenerative role of biofilm in the removal of pesticides from stormwater in biochar-amended biofilters. Environmental Science-Water Research & Technology 2022, 8, 1092– 1110. 10.1039/D1EW00870F. · DOI · Paper page
  27. Hao S.; Choi Y.-J.; Wu B.; Higgins C. P.; Deeb R.; Strathmann T. J. Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment for Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 55, 3283– 3295. 10.1021/acs.est.0c06906. 33557522 · DOI
  28. Murray C. C.; Vatankhah H.; McDonough C. A.; Nickerson A.; Hedtke T. T.; Cath T. Y.; Higgins C. P.; Bellona C. L. Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances using super-fine powder activated carbon and ceramic membrane filtration. J. Hazard. Mater. 2019, 366, 160– 168. 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.11.050. 30522083 · DOI · Paper page
  29. Fellman J. B.; Hood E.; D’Amore D. V.; Edwards R. T.; White D. Seasonal changes in the chemical quality and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter exported from soils to streams in coastal temperate rainforest watersheds. Biogeochemistry 2009, 95, 277– 293. 10.1007/s10533-009-9336-6. · DOI
  30. Mermillod-Blondin F.; Simon L.; Maazouzi C.; Foulquier A.; Delolme C.; Marmonier P. Dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) through stormwater basins designed for groundwater recharge in urban area: Assessment of retention efficiency. Water Res. 2015, 81, 27– 37. 10.1016/j.watres.2015.05.031. 26024961 · DOI
  31. Charters F. J.; Carai N. G.; Cochrane T. A. Performance of downpipe treatment system for removal of dissolved metals from roof runoff. Environ. Technol. Innovation 2021, 22, 101472 10.1016/j.eti.2021.101472. · DOI
  32. Payne K. B.; Abdel-Fattah T. M. Adsorption of divalent lead ions by zeolites and activated carbon: Effects of pH, temperature, and ionic strength. J. Environ. Sci. Health, Part A: Toxic/Hazard. Subst. Environ. Eng. 2004, 39, 2275– 2291. 10.1081/lesa-200026265. 15478922 · DOI
  33. Nguyen T. C.; Loganathan P.; Nguyen T. V.; Vigneswaran S.; Kandasamy J.; Naidu R. Simultaneous adsorption of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn by an iron-coated Australian zeolite in batch and fixed-bed column studies. Chem. Eng. J. 2015, 270, 393– 404. 10.1016/j.cej.2015.02.047. · DOI · Paper page
  34. Christensen J. B.; Jensen D. L.; Christensen T. H. Effect of dissolved organic carbon on the mobility of cadmium, nickel and zinc in leachate polluted groundwater. Water Res. 1996, 30, 3037– 3049. 10.1016/S0043-1354(96)00091-7. · DOI
  35. Islam M. A.; Morton D. W.; Johnson B. B.; Angove M. J. Adsorption of humic and fulvic acids onto a range of adsorbents in aqueous systems, and their effect on the adsorption of other species: A review. Sep. Purif. Technol. 2020, 247, 116949 10.1016/j.seppur.2020.116949. · DOI
  36. Pignatello J. J.; Kwon S.; Lu Y. F. Effect of natural organic substances on the surface and adsorptive properties of environmental black carbon (char): Attenuation of surface activity by humic and fulvic acids. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2006, 40, 7757– 7763. 10.1021/es061307m. 17256524 · DOI
  37. Koelmans A. A.; Meulman B.; Meijer T.; Jonker M. T. O. Attenuation of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Sorption to Charcoal by Humic Acids. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2009, 43, 736– 742. 10.1021/es802862b. 19245010 · DOI
  38. Quinlivan P. A.; Li L.; Knappe D. R. U. Effects of activated carbon characteristics on the simultaneous adsorption of aqueous organic micropollutants and natural organic matter. Water Res. 2005, 39, 1663– 1673. 10.1016/j.watres.2005.01.029. 15878039 · DOI
  39. Dechene A.; Rosendahl I.; Laabs V.; Amelung W. Sorption of polar herbicides and herbicide metabolites by biochar-amended soil. Chemosphere 2014, 109, 180– 186. 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.02.010. 24630449 · DOI
  40. Inyang M.; Dickenson E. R. V. The use of carbon adsorbents for the removal of perfluoroalkyl acids from potable reuse systems. Chemosphere 2017, 184, 168– 175. 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.05.161. 28586657 · DOI · Paper page
  41. Appleman T. D.; Higgins C. P.; Quiñones O.; Vanderford B. J.; Kolstad C.; Zeigler-Holady J. C.; Dickenson E. R. V. Treatment of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in U.S. full-scale water treatment systems. Water Res. 2014, 51, 246– 255. 10.1016/j.watres.2013.10.067. 24275109 · DOI · Paper page
  42. Du Z.; Deng S.; Chen Y.; Wang B.; Huang J.; Wang Y.; Yu G. Removal of perfluorinated carboxylates from washing wastewater of perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride using activated carbons and resins. J. Hazard. Mater. 2015, 286, 136– 143. 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.12.037. 25585266 · DOI
  43. Maizel A. C.; Shea S.; Nickerson A.; Schaefer C.; Higgins C. P. Release of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Impacted Soils. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 55, 14617– 14627. 10.1021/acs.est.1c02871. 34665614 · DOI
  44. Nickerson A.; Maizel A. C.; Kulkarni P. R.; Adamson D. T.; Kornuc J. J.; Higgins C. P. Enhanced Extraction of AFFF-Associated PFASs from Source Zone Soils. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 4952– 4962. 10.1021/acs.est.0c00792. 32200626 · DOI
  45. Hatt B. E.; Fletcher T. D.; Deletic A. Hydrologic and pollutant removal performance of stormwater biofiltration systems at the field scale. Journal of Hydrology 2009, 365, 310– 321. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.12.001. 19403970 · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Pritchard, J. C., Hawkins, K. M., Cho, Y.-M., Spahr, S., Struck, S. D., Higgins, C. P., & Luthy, R. G.
Affiliations
  • U.S. National Science Foundation (US)
  • Geosyntec Consultants (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Luthy, Richard G.
ORCID
Venue
ACS Environmental Au
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Published
2022-09-28
Volume
3
Issue
1
Pages
34-46
ISSN
2694-2518 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1021/acsenvironau.2c00037
PMC
PMC9856624
OpenAlex
W4297502728
Cited by
32
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2
FWCI
1.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • ACS Environmental Au (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Defense (18-1145)
  • Engineering Research Centers (1028968)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Urban Stormwater Management Solutions
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Environmental remediation with nanomaterials
Keywords
urban stormwater runoff, biochar, trace organic contaminants, dissolved metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, herbicides, pesticides, contaminant transport, zeolites, sand media

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review