Emily UR - Stormwater Runoff and Atmospheric Deposition Studies

Quick review: My IRP is focusing on the nutrient pollution originating from stormwater runoff of two different stormwater management ponds (SMPs), one located in a very urban setting & the other located in a county park. During my library research, I found my topic of interest to be a rather uncommon study but was determined enough to find two well-executed studies addressing a similar issue. The first study, titled "Storm Water Quality of First Flush Urban Runoff in relation to different Traffic Characteristics" was definitely the most helpful because it studies various sorts of stormwater runoff pollution in varying traffic conditions which allowed the Swedish researchers to make a positive correlation between high traffic volume and excess pollutants found in stormwater runoff samples.¹ This study, along with the information learned these past two weeks about rainwater (via the Chapter 3 slides in Aquatic Environmental Science) have given me a wonderful foundation on which to begin my research.
First, the conditions of the two sites being studied need to be examined for their exposure to nutrients from fertilizers, information which can gathered from the home-owners association for the Halifax Plantation location and the Volusia County Parks & Recreation department for the Tuscawilla Park location. Next I'll have to take to the internet to find what other sources of nitrogen and/or phosphorus my SMPs are exposed to which can help to differentiate between actual stormwater runoff and pollution originating from atmospheric deposition. The latter source research was addressed in a different article titled "Source Identification of Florida Bay's Methylmercury Problem: Mainland Runoff Versus Atmospheric Deposition and In situ Production" which found that more pollution was originating from atmospheric precipitation than from stormwater runoff.²
In preparation for next week's blog and actual water sample collecting, I plan to conduct further research into the appropriate amount of samples to collect before, during and after a rain event as well as  how much of said water sample will be needed to obtain an accurate measurement of nutrients.

Halifax Retention Pond Location (one or the other, not both)
Note it's location, behind housing, surrounded by golf courses &
adjacent to I-95.

Tuscawilla Retention Pond Location.
Note it's location as well, exposed to more nature than roadways.

Citations:
1. Czemiel Berndtsson, J.. (2014). Storm Water Quality of First Flush Urban Runoff in relation to different Traffic Characteristics. Urban Water Journal, Vol.11 (Issue 4), p284-296. 13p. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.db06.linccweb.org/ehost
2. Rumbold, D. G., Evans, D. W., Niemczyk, S., Fink, L. E., Laine, K. A., Howard, N., Krabbenhoft, D. P., Zucker, M.. (2011). Source Identification of Florida Bay's Methylmercury Problem: Mainland Runoff Versus Atmospheric Deposition and In situ Production. Estuaries and Coasts, Vol. 34 (Issue 3), p494-513. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com.db06.linccweb.org/article/10.1007/s12237-010-9290-5