Filtration Capacity of Sand and GAC for Phosphate Removal

Presenter Information

Molly Hill, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Harrison Wong, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Location

CSU Ballroom

Start Date

12-4-2022 10:00 AM

End Date

12-4-2022 11:30 AM

Student's Major

Mechanical and Civil Engineering

Student's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Mentor's Name

Nazli Yilmaz-Wodzinski

Mentor's Department

Mechanical and Civil Engineering

Mentor's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Description

This research project was conducted by civil engineering students, Molly Hill and Harrison Wong, at Minnesota State University, Mankato with the assistance of faculty mentor, Dr. Nazli Yilmaz Wodzinski. The project explores one method of removing phosphate from agriculture drainage water by using different thickness combinations of sugar sand and granular activated carbon (GAC). Unlike other methods of phosphate removal, this method can be used to treat contaminated water in the field. To simulate agriculture runoff, topsoil collected from the Ziegler farm in Mankato, MN was mixed with DI water. The mixture was run through filters, columns containing sugar sand and GAC, with phosphate levels measured before and after passing through the filter mediums. The results can be built on to find a feasible way to filter the nutrient-rich water present in Minnesota’s agricultural runoff.