Wetland Sediment Filtration
In this research paper, the researcher will discuss the Southern Channel River and the Savannah River. The Savannah River is a major river in the United States that borders South Carolina and Georgia. Its’ source is lake Hartwell. The South Channel Savannah River is located in Georgia in the United States. These two rivers are parallel to each other, and the researcher took their soil samples to find out if the wetland sediments filter out pollution.
The Savannah River has tributaries, namely the Tugalo River and the Chattoga River (USGS). It also has a port and cargo ships that navigate it, and this is the main reason why it is polluted. The pollution lowers the quality of the water, and if the water companies manage the degradation of the water, then the water quality will be improved. The contamination of these rivers will be discussed as we advance. The Savannah River has plants, fish species, and amphibians that live in it. Their area around the two rivers is covered with forested land. The river has many uses, such as energy uses. Industrial applications and agricultural uses. The water is also used as drinking water to people around the Savannah, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The South Channel Savannah River is in Catham Region, and it is the deepest part of the stream (USGS). The minerals within nearby are the Ilmenite, and the type of rock found around the area is the beach sand. The mouth of the two rivers is the Atlantic Ocean.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
The samples of the soil of the two rivers were taken so that it would help the researcher to determine if the wetland sediment filters out pollution. The soil samples were tested for the presence of the ph, ammonia, nitrogen, total Kjeldahl, phosphorous, and the metal scan, and the results will be discussed as we advance.
Sediment filters are responsible for catching the matter that travels in the water. The most endangered ecosystem is a wetland. The wetlands help in filtering and removing sediments and toxins from the water. It filters the water in such a way that sediment that has water passes through the wetlands and makes it slow (Rogers). The sediments then drop out and become a part of the ground hence making the water in the rivers clear. The results of the sample will help the researcher to know if this method of removing pollutants is applicable in the two rivers discussed above. The samples will also help the researcher to know if the wetland sediment filters the pollutants equally in the Savannah River and South Channel River.
The Savannah River has a port that the tourists use when they come to visit the building in architectural styles, ornate ironwork, and fountains. The savannah port is the leading port in the southeastern United States as it is a major seaport. The port was founded by the English nobleman known as James Oglethorpe. The Native Americans used it for trading and transportation. It was also used by the Europeans. The Savannah River is the economic force of the area it covers as trade still is done. It has dams that are used for navigation and helps in controlling floods in the area and the dam also provides hydroelectric power.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
The Savannah River has had pollution problems. The savannah port handles chemicals, minerals, fuel oil, coal and minerals. The industries found in this area is the paper, fertilizers, and chemical manufacturing industries. The Savana estuary traps the sediments that is transported in the Savannah River. The crop farming that is practiced on the banks of the Savannah River may lead to soil erosion and hence pollutes the river.
The industrial facilities dump toxic chemicals in the river and with this the savanna river is reported to be the most affected river with the toxic pollutants. This makes this water unsafe for fishing and swimming. The following are the causes of the contaminants in the river. There are human activities that pollute the river and there are natural factors that pollutes it. The pollutants can be classified as point sources and non- point sources where the point sources are discharges that are piped and they are managed by the programs managed by the state. The non-point sources are carried by the rainfall to the river through surface run-off or snow-melt. The pollutants are for example oil and grease from the industries and the pesticides.
When analyzing the soil samples the researcher did not encounter any problems. The samples were analyzed separately in the laboratory. The soil samples were taken from different spot in the Savannah River and the South Channel River. The samples were also collected where the two rivers meet. The spots where the sample was taken from in the South Channel River (SCR) is named as follows: South Channel 1, South Channel 2, South Channel 3, South Channel 4, South Channel 4, South Channel 5, South Channel 6, South Channel 7, South Channel 8 and South Channel 9. The spots where the soil samples were taken in the Savannah River (SR) were named as follows: Savannah River 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The points where the samples were taken in both the rivers were nine. The samples were also taken at mouth 1 and mouth 2.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
There were cases where the samples taken were at high concentration, they had to be diluted. The limits were adjusted for the diluted samples. As it was mentioned earlier that the soil samples were tested for ph, ammonia, full metal scan and Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrogen, organic and total phosphorous. The soil samples were taken in the test American laboratory.
The soil sample in the South Channel 2 were tested for the full metal scan. The soil was tested if it has the following metals: magnesium, manganese, iron, mercury, lead, iron, copper, mercury and aluminum. The metals that were present are magnesium, manganese and sodium. The metal that is in high amounts is sodium and the one which is in low quantities is the manganese. The ph of the soil in this spot is at 7.5 as it is a base and there is little amount of ammonia in this area. There is average amount of nitrogen, Kjedahl and nitrogen, organic. In this spot there is also phosphorous present in this area.
In South Channel 3 has a ph of 6.7 and the area has ammonia. There is presence of nitrogen, Kjedahl and nitrogen, organic. The amounts of the nitrogen ranges around 700mg/kg. The metals present in this spot are sodium, magnesium, lead, calcium cadmium, manganese and nickel. Sodium and magnesium are the metals that are in high quantity in this particular area. This area has low amounts of lead too which is one of the toxic metals
The soil sample collected in South Channel 4 has a ph of 7.0 which is a base. The amount of ammonia in this spot has low making it a base. The metals present in this spot are magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, lead, nickel, cobalt and calcium. There is also presence of nitrogen, Kjedahl and nitrogen, organic in this area. There is also phosphorous which is present in this spot according to the analysis gotten from the laboratory on the soil sample of the spot.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
In the South Channel 5 the metals present are magnesium, sodium, iron, lead, copper, mercury, calcium, beryllium, aluminum and potassium. Iron is the leading metal and is in large amount in the particular spot. The soils ph in this area is at 6.8 and this area has ammonia which is in low amounts. There is presence of nitrogen, Kjedahl, nitrogen, organic and phosphorous I also present in this area.
Both South Channel 6 and South Channel 7 has a ph of 7.1. The amount of ammonia in this two spots are different though the spot in south channel 7 is low and the amount at south channel 6 is at 8.4 mg/kg. The both spots have nitrogen, Kjedahl and nitrogen, organic. The amount of the nitrogen, Kjedahl and nitrogen, organic are equal in the spot of the South Channel 7. The metal that is in high quantity in both of the spots in 6 and 7 is iron. There are other metals present in this spot and they include metals such as sodium, beryllium, mercury, potassium, aluminum, silver, cobalt and calcium.
In the South Channel 8 the metals that are present in this spot are iron, magnesium, calcium, aluminum and potassium. The metals mentioned are the main that are found in this spot and they are all in large quantities. There is presence of nitrogen, Kjeldahl, phosphorous and nitrogen, organic. In the South Channel 9 ammonia is present and the ph of this particular spot it is at 6.9. The metals present in this soil sample at this spot contains metals such as the iron, magnesium, potassium and aluminum. In almost all this spots iron is the metal that is in high quantity. The nitrogen, Kjeldahl and nitrogen, organic is also present in all the soil samples collected in the spots mentioned above. The South Channel 1 had to be diluted for it to be tested.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
The soil sample that were taken in the different spots in the Savannah River were also analyzed and I will discuss it below. The Savannah River 2 was the first spot that the soil was analyzed. The results show that the spot has a ph of 8.1. The metals present in this spot are calcium, magnesium, sodium, aluminum, lead and nickel. Lead is in low quantity and is barely noticed. The leading metal that is in high quantity in this spot is calcium. The amount of nitrogen, Kjeldahl, nitrogen, organic found in this area is in low amounts.
The soil sample collected in the next spot (Savannah River 3) was analyzed to have a ph of 7.7. The metals found present in the sample collected at the particular spot were calcium, iron, aluminum, potassium and nickel. The sample had low amounts of ammonia. It also had average amount of nitrogen, Kjeldahl, phosphorous and nitrogen, organic. The soil sample collected at Savannah River 4 had a ph of 7.9. Ammonia is not present in this sample. The amount of nitrogen Kjeldahl, nitrogen, organic are in small amounts. After the metal scan that was done on this sample it was found that the metal that was in high amount are aluminum.
The soil sample that was collected on the spot of the Savannah River 5 had a ph of 8.1 and there was no ammonia that was present on this spot. The amount of nitrogen, Kjeldahl and nitrogen, organic are not present on this spot. Phosphorous was also not present on this sample. In the Savannah River spot 6 the ph of the soil is 8.2. Nitrogen, Kjeldahl and the nitrogen, organic are in low quantity. The metals in this soil sample were not in large quantities. The only metal present in this soil sample is potassium though it is not in large quantities. In the Savanah River 7 the soils’ ph is at 8.1. The amount of nitrogen, Kjeldahl and nitrogen, organic are equal in the soil sample. Phosphorous is also present in this soil sample though it is in low amounts.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
The metals that were found in the Savannah River 7 spot are magnesium, sodium, potassium, aluminum and iron. In the Savannah River 8 the soil sample had a ph 8.1. Ammonia is not present in this soil sample. The metals present in this sample are iron, magnesium, sodium and potassium. The amount of nitrogen, Kjeldahl present in this sample is the same as the nitrogen, organic present. There is low amount of phosphorous too in this sample.
In the Savannah River 9 the sample was found to have a ph of 7.0. The amount of the phosphorous present is low. The nitrogen, Kjeldahl and nitrogen, organic present in the sample is low. The soil sample results from the laboratory of mouth 1 where the South Channel River meets the Savannah River has a ph of 7.0. The amount of ammonia in this point is low. The amount of nitrogen, Kjeldahl and nitrogen, organic is in large quantity. Phosphorous is also present in this point. The metals present at this point is magnesium, sodium, iron, aluminum and potassium. In mouth 2 the analysis showed that the metals present at this point are all in low quantity. Iron is the leading metal present in the soil sample collected though sodium is also present in the soil sample. The ph of the soil sample is 5.9 and the amount of ammonia present in the sample is in low quantity.
The results of the samples of the soils collected in the Savannah and the South Channel River are all discussed above. The samples of the mouth of the rivers were also collected and analyzed. The results of the sample will help us to know whether the wetland sediment filter equally. The other thing that will help us to determine whether the sediments filter equally is the amounts of pollution in the river. As we learnt before the sediment filter traps and removes the dirt and debris from the rivers. It mostly removes the solid particles that should not be in the water.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
To protect the water downstream the wetland sediment filtration should be used. The national pollution discharge elimination system (NPDES) has helped in the treatment of the system and it has helped in removing metals in the Savannah and the South Channel River. The rivers have metals such as iron, lead, zinc, copper and other metals that were found when the samples were analyzed. The system was designed to remove the metals present in the river. Calcium sulfate is mostly added to the water in the two rivers to reduce the bacterial population. The metals that is discharged is also less toxic.
There are reservoirs that were created near the Savannah River in that the layers of the organic materials holds bacteria that created chemicals and it made the bacteria bind into the metals and this metals are kept out of the reach of the skin of the amphibians and the fish species. The fish are the indicators to show that the water is highly contaminated because the fish occupy different trophic levels in the river. The sample of the soil of the different points in the rivers shows the concentration of metals. The pollution of the rivers with heavy metals has become a worldwide problem.
The metal pollutants originate from the atmosphere and the discharge from the industries. There are hazardous metals such as lead, nickel, cadmium and mercury because it has a toxic nature when released to the environment. The concentrations of the heavy metals are monitored by analyzing their accumulation in the rivers and the sediments. The amount of metals that accumulate in the waters in the rivers is low compared to how the metals accumulate on the sediments.
Wetland Sediment Filtration
The environmental protection agency
Work Cited
“USGS 02199000 SOUTH CHANNEL (SAVANNAH RIVER) NEAR SAVANNAH, GA.” Waterdata.usgs.gov. N.p., 2020. Web. 20 Apr. 2020.
“USGS Current Conditions For USGS 02198760 SAVANNAH RIVER ABOVE HARDEEVILLE, SC.” Waterdata.usgs.gov. N.p., 2020. Web. 20 Apr. 2020.
Rogers, Chris Dinesen. “How Do Wetland Filter Water.” N.p., 2020. Web. 20 Apr. 2020.