Sediment and phosphorus removal from simulated storm runoff with compost filter socks and silt fence

In 2005, the US Environmental Protection Agency National Menu of Stormwater Best Management Practices, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Phase II for Construction Sites, listed compost filter socks as an approved best management practice for controlling storm runoff and sediment on construction sites. Like most new technologies used to control sediment on construction sites, little has been done to evaluate their performance relative to conventional sediment control barriers, such as silt fences. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine and compare the sediment removal efficiency of silt fence and compost filter socks, (2) to determine if the addition of polymers to compost filter socks could reduce sediment and phosphorus loads, (3) to determine relationships between compost filter media particle size distribution and pollutant removal efficiency and hydraulic flow rate. Simulated rainfall was applied to soil chambers packed with Hatboro silt loam on a 10% slope. All runoff was collected and analyzed for hydraulic flow rate, volume, total suspended solids (TSS) concentration and load, turbidity, and total and soluble P concentration and load. Based on 7.45 cm h–1 (2.9 in hr–1) of simulated rainfall-runoff for 30 minutes duration, bare soil (control) runoff TSS concentrations were between 48,820 and 70,400 mg L–1 (6.5 oz gal–1 and 9.4 oz gal–1), and turbidity was between 19343 and 36688 Nephelometric Turbidity Units. Compost filter sock and silt fence removal efficiencies for TSS concentration (62% to 87% and 71% to 87%), TSS load (68% to 90% and 72% to 89%), and turbidity (53% to 78% and 54% to 76%) were nearly identical; however with the addition of polymers to the compost filter socks sediment removal efficiencies ranged from 91% to 99%. Single event support practice factors (P factor) for silt fence were between 0.11 and 0.29, for compost filter socks between 0.10 and 0.32, and for compost filter socks + polymer between 0.02 and 0.06. Total and soluble P concentration and load removal efficiencies were similar for compost filter socks (59% to 65% and 14% to 27%) and silt fence (63% and 23%). Although when polymers were added to the filter socks and installed on phosphorus fertilized soils, removal efficiencies increased to 92% to 99%. Compost filter socks restricted hydraulic flow rate between 2% and 22%, while the silt fence restricted between 5% and 29%. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between middle range particle sizes of compost filter media used in the filter socks and reduction of turbidity in runoff; however, hydraulic flow rate was a better indicator (stronger correlation) of total pollutant removal efficiency performance for compost filter socks and should be considered as a new parameter for federal and state standard specifications for this pollution prevention technology.