_	Additively Manufactured Novel Media for the Enhancement of

AJvl	Biological in situ Stormwater Remediation

unitfd^at^^	Georgia Southern University

Protection A^enc	Georgia Southern University, Department of Manufacturing Engineering

Georgia Southern University, Department of Civil Engineering

Dr. Kamran Kardel, Dr. Francisco Cubas Suazo, Michael Jones, Nicholas Wolf, Corina Fluker, John Collins, Brandon Roberson I

PEOPLE

PROSPERITY

PLANET

I 912-478-8566

Environmental Conditions

Background

Results Continued

Methods

Fig. 6: Time series for: Nitrate & TN control (top), OP & ammonia media
tank (middle), and nitrate and TN media tank (bottom)

Discussion & Conclusions

•	With a retention time of 5 days (40 mL/min), the tank
with media was able to achieve higher removal for all
nutrients measured.

•	Cout/Cin for OP, ammonia, and nitrate was 0.85, 0.69,
and 0.43 respectively. TN removal = 0.9 .

•	Tank with media and lighting achieved higher removal in
shorter time. Cout/Cin for OP, ammonia, and nitrate was
0.75, 0.69, and 0.4 respectively.

•	Algae synergy with biofilm organisms was the
mechanism for nutrient depletion.

Experimental Design

Results

www.epa.gov/research

•	Nutrients from nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is one
of the main drivers of freshwater eutrophication
nationally and globally.

•	Both rural and urban stormwater discharge high
concentrations of nutrients (i.e., Nitrogen and
Phosphorus) to freshwaters

•	Best Management Practices (BMPs) like bioreactors
have proven effective at removing these nutrients but
require constant monitoring and maintenance.

•	Project goal: Manufacture and test a Bioreactor module
that utilizes a novel 3D-printed media for nutrient
removal.

•	The media was designed to have relatively high surface
area to volume ratio (SSA) promoting sustained algae
growth for nutriGnt consurriDtion 	

a) Dissolved
Oxygen to
identify
aerobic vs.
anaerobic
environments

b) pH to assess
algae's
impact

Fig. 3: Reactor design and setup (top), flow model output (below).

•	Reactor's Initial part to
promote flow through media,
final part promotes a more
quiescent environment.

•	Flow was modeled to assure
mixing along the vertical axis.

-¦ Control -¦ Media w/o Light Media with Light

Fig. 1: Original media gyroidal pattern (left) and resulting media (right).

•	Media was printed on a resin SLA
printer (Elegoo Saturn 2)

•	63 media blocks were printed to
run three experimental
bioreactors

•	3 tanks were tested: Control (no
media), media, and media with
illumination.	Fig. 2: Resin SLA Printer

Fig. 4: a) DO, b) pH, c) ORP, d) DOC

c) ORP to
differentiate
between
oxidized and
reduced
environments

d) Dissolved
organic
carbon to
measure
excessive
algae growth

Fig. 5: Time series for OP and ammonia in control tank

Fig. 7: Algae growth in media at day 75 (left). Cleanest media is
• Control: OP, ammonia, and nitrate Cout/Cin was 0.95,	after harvesting the algae. Filamentous algae in media (right).

0.89, and 0.86 respectively. TN = 0.91.

SSA= 863 m2/m3

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