{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/113830"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/113830","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Simulating the Cost and Legacy N Reduction Potential of Denitrifying Spring Bioreactors Installation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed","abstract":"The nitrogen reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay are proving particularly difficult achieve. One of the contributing sources of N loading to the Bay is legacy N from groundwater springs. Denitrifying spring bioreactors are a best management practice that offers an opportunity to abate N from groundwater springs. The objective of this research is to estimate the regional abatement costs to remove legacy N using bioreactors. We identified 196 candidate springs for bioreactor installation that had a median spring flow of greater or equal to 100 m3 d-1 and greater or equal to 3 mg L-1. Under assumptions that 25% of the spring flow can be diverted to the bioreactor and a bioreactor N removal efficiency of 20%, we estimate that it would cost $3,325,400 yr-1 to abate 106,911 kg N yr-1. The driving factor of driving the unit costs of N removal is the amount of spring flow treated by the bioreactor. Further research is needed to understand how to optimize bioreactor performance and the benefits of increasing the percentage of spring flow treated given the impact these two factors on the cost-effectiveness of spring bioreactors in removing N.","abstract_html":"The nitrogen reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay are proving particularly difficult achieve. One of the contributing sources of N loading to the Bay is legacy N from groundwater springs. Denitrifying spring bioreactors are a best management practice that offers an opportunity to abate N from groundwater springs. The objective of this research is to estimate the regional abatement costs to remove legacy N using bioreactors. We identified 196 candidate springs for bioreactor installation that had a median spring flow of greater or equal to 100 m3 d-1 and greater or equal to 3 mg L-1. Under assumptions that 25% of the spring flow can be diverted to the bioreactor and a bioreactor N removal efficiency of 20%, we estimate that it would cost $3,325,400 yr-1 to abate 106,911 kg N yr-1. The driving factor of driving the unit costs of N removal is the amount of spring flow treated by the bioreactor. Further research is needed to understand how to optimize bioreactor performance and the benefits of increasing the percentage of spring flow treated given the impact these two factors on the cost-effectiveness of spring bioreactors in removing N.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kinz, Sarah Elizabeth"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Forestry","degree_department":"Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Cobourn, Kelly M.","Stephenson, Stephen Kurt"],"committee_members":["Easton, Zachary M.","Gannon, John Patrick"],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-02-14","date_published":"2023-02-14","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:56:22Z","subjects":["Dentrifying bioreactors","cost-effectiveness","Chesapeake Bay Watershed"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:36213"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:36213","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/113830","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Cobourn, Kelly M.","Stephenson, Stephen Kurt"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Easton, Zachary M.","Gannon, John Patrick"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kinz, Sarah Elizabeth"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2023-02-15T09:00:21Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-02-15T09:00:21Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2023-02-14"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Forestry"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Dentrifying bioreactors","cost-effectiveness","Chesapeake Bay Watershed"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:36213"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/113830"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The nitrogen reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay are proving particularly difficult achieve. One of the contributing sources of N loading to the Bay is legacy N from groundwater springs. Denitrifying spring bioreactors are a best management practice that offers an opportunity to abate N from groundwater springs. The objective of this research is to estimate the regional abatement costs to remove legacy N using bioreactors. We identified 196 candidate springs for bioreactor installation that had a median spring flow of greater or equal to 100 m3 d-1 and greater or equal to 3 mg L-1. Under assumptions that 25% of the spring flow can be diverted to the bioreactor and a bioreactor N removal efficiency of 20%, we estimate that it would cost $3,325,400 yr-1 to abate 106,911 kg N yr-1. The driving factor of driving the unit costs of N removal is the amount of spring flow treated by the bioreactor. Further research is needed to understand how to optimize bioreactor performance and the benefits of increasing the percentage of spring flow treated given the impact these two factors on the cost-effectiveness of spring bioreactors in removing N."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["There is a Chesapeake Bay Watershed total maximum daily load (TMDL) to reduce pollutants from going into the Bay. The reduction measures to achieve the TMDL goals must be in place by 2025. The nitrogen reduction goal for the Bay is proving particularly difficult to achieve. One of the contributing sources of N loading to the Bay is legacy N from groundwater springs. Denitrifying spring bioreactors are a best management practice that offers an opportunity to abate N from groundwater springs. One form of a denitrifying bioreactor is a hole in the ground filled with carbon substrate (i.e. woodchips) that is used to treat N rich water. Due to the conditions created in the spring bioreactor, the process of denitrification occurs, and N is removed from the water treated. The objective of this research is to estimate the regional abatement costs to remove legacy N using bioreactors. We identified 196 candidate springs for bioreactor installation that had a median spring flow of greater or equal to 100 m3 d-1 and greater or equal to 3 mg L-1. Under assumptions that 25% of the spring flow can be diverted to the bioreactor and a bioreactor N removal efficiency of 20%, we estimate that it would cost $3,325,400 yr-1 to abate 106,911 kg N yr-1. The driving factor of driving the unit costs of N removal is the amount of spring flow treated by the bioreactor. Further research is needed to understand how to optimize bioreactor performance and the benefits of increasing the percentage of spring flow treated given the impact these two factors on the cost-effectiveness of spring bioreactors in removing N."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Simulating the Cost and Legacy N Reduction Potential of Denitrifying Spring Bioreactors Installation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Cobourn, Kelly M.","Stephenson, Stephen Kurt"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Easton, Zachary M.","Gannon, John Patrick"],"dc:contributor.department":["Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation"],"dc:creator":["Kinz, Sarah Elizabeth"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2023-02-15T09:00:21Z"],"dc:date.available":["2023-02-15T09:00:21Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2023-02-14"],"dc:description.abstract":["The nitrogen reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay are proving particularly difficult achieve. One of the contributing sources of N loading to the Bay is legacy N from groundwater springs. Denitrifying spring bioreactors are a best management practice that offers an opportunity to abate N from groundwater springs. The objective of this research is to estimate the regional abatement costs to remove legacy N using bioreactors. We identified 196 candidate springs for bioreactor installation that had a median spring flow of greater or equal to 100 m3 d-1 and greater or equal to 3 mg L-1. Under assumptions that 25% of the spring flow can be diverted to the bioreactor and a bioreactor N removal efficiency of 20%, we estimate that it would cost $3,325,400 yr-1 to abate 106,911 kg N yr-1. The driving factor of driving the unit costs of N removal is the amount of spring flow treated by the bioreactor. Further research is needed to understand how to optimize bioreactor performance and the benefits of increasing the percentage of spring flow treated given the impact these two factors on the cost-effectiveness of spring bioreactors in removing N."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["There is a Chesapeake Bay Watershed total maximum daily load (TMDL) to reduce pollutants from going into the Bay. The reduction measures to achieve the TMDL goals must be in place by 2025. The nitrogen reduction goal for the Bay is proving particularly difficult to achieve. One of the contributing sources of N loading to the Bay is legacy N from groundwater springs. Denitrifying spring bioreactors are a best management practice that offers an opportunity to abate N from groundwater springs. One form of a denitrifying bioreactor is a hole in the ground filled with carbon substrate (i.e. woodchips) that is used to treat N rich water. Due to the conditions created in the spring bioreactor, the process of denitrification occurs, and N is removed from the water treated. The objective of this research is to estimate the regional abatement costs to remove legacy N using bioreactors. We identified 196 candidate springs for bioreactor installation that had a median spring flow of greater or equal to 100 m3 d-1 and greater or equal to 3 mg L-1. Under assumptions that 25% of the spring flow can be diverted to the bioreactor and a bioreactor N removal efficiency of 20%, we estimate that it would cost $3,325,400 yr-1 to abate 106,911 kg N yr-1. The driving factor of driving the unit costs of N removal is the amount of spring flow treated by the bioreactor. Further research is needed to understand how to optimize bioreactor performance and the benefits of increasing the percentage of spring flow treated given the impact these two factors on the cost-effectiveness of spring bioreactors in removing N."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:36213"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/113830"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Dentrifying bioreactors","cost-effectiveness","Chesapeake Bay Watershed"],"dc:title":["Simulating the Cost and Legacy N Reduction Potential of Denitrifying Spring Bioreactors Installation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Forestry"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:56:22Z"}