In Situ Characterization of Resuspended-Sediment Oxygen Demand in Bubbly Creek, Chicago, Illinois
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 8
Abstract
Sediment oxygen demand (SOD) can be a significant oxygen sink in various types of water bodies, particularly slow-moving waters with substantial organic sediment accumulation. In most settings in which SOD is a concern, the prevailing hydraulic conditions are such that the impact of sediment resuspension on SOD is not considered. However, in the case of Bubbly Creek in Chicago, the prevailing slack water conditions are interrupted by infrequent intervals of very high flow rates associated with pumped combined sewer overflow (CSO) during intense hydrologic events. These events can cause resuspension of the highly organic, nutrient-rich bottom sediments, resulting in precipitous drawdown of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water column. To address this issue, a new in situ experimental apparatus designed to achieve high flow velocities was implemented to characterize SOD, both with and without sediment resuspension. In the case of resuspension, the suspended sediment concentration was analyzed as a function of bed shear stress, and a formulation was developed to characterize resuspended-sediment oxygen demand () as a function of suspended sediment concentration in a form similar to first-order biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) kinetics with the DO term in the form of Monod kinetics. The results obtained can be implemented into a model containing hydrodynamic, sediment transport, and water-quality components to yield oxygen demand varying in both space and time for specific flow events. The results are used to evaluate water quality improvement alternatives that take into account the impact of SOD under various flow conditions.
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Acknowledgments
The financial support of the MWRDGC through a research grant to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC) is gratefully acknowledged. The work of laboratory staff at the Stickney water reclamation plant for their analysis of the large quantity of samples generated is also acknowledged. Special thanks are extended to the USGS Illinois Water Science Center, particularly Jim Duncker and Dr. P. Ryan Jackson, for their extensive collaboration during design, testing, and field implementation. Input and analysis regarding various aspects of the study by Dr. Gary Parker, Dr. Xiaofeng Liu, Jose Mier, Blake Landry, and Tatiana García of UIUC are also gratefully acknowledged. The constructive criticism of three anonymous reviewers is acknowledged in helping improve an earlier draft of this manuscript.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 8 • August 2011
Pages: 717 - 730
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 2, 2010
Accepted: Mar 3, 2011
Published online: Mar 5, 2011
Published in print: Aug 1, 2011
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