Comparative Study of Conventional Gravel vs. Oyster Shell Filtration LID BMP Efficiency for Stormwater Pollutants Removal
This research examines the alternative utilization strategy for oyster shell by-products in regular stormwater pollutant removal best management practices (BMPs). A number of research have examined the utilization of oyster shell waste as a construction material in Asia and Europe, specifically focusing on the physical properties of crushed oyster shells as alternatives for aggregates. This study investigated the performance of waste oyster shells as a filtration medium for capturing significant pollutants, both particulate and dissolved, in stormwater runoff. Filtering capacities and efficiencies of waste oyster shells were evaluated in capturing and removing key pollutants in stormwater runoff, including Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Nitrogen (TDN), and Total Dissolved Phosphorus (TDP) in different size distributions and in both calcined and uncalcined forms. It is observed that waste oyster shells are significantly more effective at capturing nearly 100% of TSS, with the median TDN removal rate of 50% to 62%, and with the average TDP removal rate of 36.39% to 42.7% under four variations of waste oyster shell filtration media aggregate sizes and filter bed layer thicknesses. Observed removal efficiencies indicate that waste oyster shells serve as a suitable material to be used in the filtration medium, regardless of whether they are calcined or non-calcined, and crushed or non-crushed. This study highlights innovative approaches that redefine oyster shells from an environmental and economic burden into a resource that mitigates these issues by replacing conventional materials that are costly to both the environment and circular economy.
Author Bio
Sadiq Omer is a graduate student in the Environmental Engineering Master Program at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA Dr. Jaewan Yoon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
