Performance Comparison of Crushed Mussel Shells and Sand as Filtration Media
Stormwater Conference
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Removing contaminants from stormwater sustainably is challenging, particularly at industrial sites. The issue is currently addressed by filtration or infiltration devices. The goal of this field study was to compare the effectiveness of contaminant removal utilizing two different filter media. Half Moon Bay Marina’s hardstand area was selected as a trial site.
A dual-chamber splitter filter was built in which one chamber utilized crushed mussel shells and the other the sand medium currently recommended in TP10. The filter collected stormwater runoff from the marina hardstand area which entered a settling forebay before being evenly distributed over the sand and mussel shell filter areas. A range of parameters were monitored which included inflow, outflow, total suspended solids, dissolved copper, dissolved zinc, total copper, total zinc and site rainfall for a period of 14 months. Parameter data was analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of each medium.
The paper discusses field experiment set-up and instrumentation plan; media characteristics and specifications; hydrological characteristics of the site; and performance of the two media.