1. Introduction to phosphorus and water quality

1.1. The role of phosphorus in ecosystems

1.1.1. Eutrophication

1.2. Sources of phosphorus transported to surface waters

1.2.1. Point Sources (Wastewater Treatment Plants)

1.2.2. Non-point phosphorus sources and forms

1.3. Best management practices and dissolved phosphorus losses

1.4. References

2. Reducing Phosphorus Transport: An Overview of Best Management Practices

2.1. Dealing with eutrophication: treat the symptoms or the cause?

2.2. Incidental vs. legacy phosphorus losses

2.3. Legacy phosphorus

2.3.2. Containment of legacy phosphorus losses

2.3.3. Remediation of legacy phosphorus

2.4. References

3. Phosphorus Removal Structures as a Short-Term Solution for the Problem of Dissolved Phosphorus Transport to Surface Waters

3.1. Purpose, Concept, and General Theory of Phosphorus Removal Structures

3.1.1. How the phosphorus removal structure works for removing the target pollutant: dissolved phosphorus

3.1.2. Choosing the most efficient target locations for a phosphorus removal structure

3.2. Examples and applications of phosphorus removal structures

3.2.1. Modular box

3.2.3. Surface confined bed

3.2.4. Cartridges

3.2.5. Pond filter

3.2.6. Blind/surface inlets

3.2.7. Bio-retention cell

3.2.8. Subsurface tile drain filter

3.2.9. Waste-water treatment structures

3.2.10. Treatment at confined animal feeding operations

3.2.11. Treatment at silage bunkers

3.3. Summary of P removal structure styles

4. Phosphorus sorption materials (PSMs): the heart of the phosphorus removal structure

4.1. What are PSMs?

4.1.1.

4.1.2. Choosing a PSM

4.2. What makes a material an effective PSM?

4.2.1. P sorption capacity and kinetics of P removal

4.2.3. Safety considerations of PSMs

4.3. The paradox of many PSMs

4.3.1. Potential solutions for PSMs with insufficient hydraulic conductivity

4.3.2. A note on the use of steel slag and chemical treatment

4.4. References

5. Characterization of PSMs

5.2. The P removal design curve

5.2.1. Method for direct measurement of the design curve: flow-through experiment

5.3. Methods of physical characterization of PSMs necessary for designing a P removal structure

5.3.1. Measurement of bulk density

5.3.2. Measurement of porosity and particle density

5.3.3. Measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity

5.4. Methods of safety characterization of PSMs

5.4.1. Total metal concentration by digestion

5.4.2. Method for water soluble metals

5.4.3. Synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP)

5.5. References

6. Designing a Phosphorus Removal Structure

6.1. Designing structures to achieve target P load removal and lifetime

6.1.1. Use of the design curve and governing equations for designing structures

6.1.2. Determining the required mass of PSM for a P removal structure

6.2. Site characterization inputs required for conducting a design

6.2.1. Average annual dissolved P load

6.2.2. Peak flow rates

6.3. Drainage of the P removal structure: balancing flow rate with retention time

6.3.1. Water flow t
About the Author: Dr. Chad Penn is a soil, agricultural, and environmental chemist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Before joining the ARS, he served as a professor of soil and environmental chemistry at Oklahoma State University for eleven years. He received his B.S. in soil science at Penn State University (1998) and M.S. in environmental soil science (2001). He earned his Ph.D. in environmental soil chemistry at Virginia Tech (2004). Dr. Penn has constructed over twenty phosphorus removal structures throughout the U.S., and helped to design many more in the U.S. and internationally. With his thirteen years of experience in conducting research on removing dissolved phosphorus from runoff, Dr. Penn created the software, "Phosphorus Removal Online Guidance" (Phrog), in an effort to disseminate the technology and enable the lay-person to more easily design and construct phosphorus removal structures. He has been a member of the National Academy of Inventors since 2015 and the American Society of Agronomy since 1997. Dr. Penn continues to help people around the world design phosphorus removal structures.