RAPID: Soil and water biogeochemical response to COVID-19: increased stress on septic systems alters soil and water quality

2020年初，格鲁吉亚东北部的降雨量比正常情况高得多，这增加了该地区老化化粪池系统的压力。此外，与COVID-19疫情相关的“就地安置”及“社交距离”政策增加了居民在家的时间，因此增加了住宅化粪池污水处理系统的使用。这种对化粪池系统的压力增加可能会改变化粪池沥滤场的土壤特性和污染物含量。该项目将调查如何增加化粪池系统的使用可能导致污染物径流。 将对沥滤场周边内外的化粪池系统进行调查，并在现场和实验室方法中分析土壤物理、水文和化学特性。 这项研究的结果将告知土地管理者和地方政府需要管理的污染物，以保护人类健康，自然资源和环境。 将在每年的雅典水节上编写和分发教育材料。 一名研究生将直接参与该项目，并将接受广泛的现场和实验室技术培训。该项目的目标是调查当前密集降雨和化粪池系统的使用，以及它如何在土壤和土壤水中产生新的生物地球化学活动热点。核心假设是，在脓毒症压力增加（COVID-19和天气相关）期间，脓毒症沥滤场的营养负荷增加，将推动土壤和土壤水中有机质的数量和组成发生变化，沿着整体地球化学循环的变化。该研究项目将解决三个目标：1。用比较的方法估计沥滤场对土壤和土壤水生态地球化学的影响。 2.以足够的空间和时间分辨率确定养分和土壤有机质变化的潜在热点，以生成更大规模的热点预测。3.估计潜在的营养物质和有机物负荷正在交付给水体从相关的压力在化粪池系统的功能和化粪池系统的维护。通过调查极端天气事件和化粪池系统需求增加的影响，这项工作将为土壤水分和相关水生营养物负荷的变化提供重要见解。了解这些变化将为地方政府提供与长期使用化粪池系统相关的信息，以及与未来气候制度相关的管理挑战。PI预计将与当地机构和外展专家合作，利用与克拉克县正在进行的合作，开发新的化粪池教育材料，在一年一度的雅典水节上分发。 PI是一个新的研究人员，一名研究生将直接参与该项目，并将接受广泛的现场和实验室技术培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Early in 2020 northeast Georgia had much higher rainfall than normal placing increased stress on aging septic systems in the region. Additionally, “shelter-in-place” and “social distancing” policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the time residents spend at home and therefore the use of residential septic wastewater treatment systems. This increased stress on septic systems may change soil properties and pollutant content in septic leach fields. This project will investigate how increased septic system use could lead to pollutant runoff. Septic systems will be investigated inside and outside of the leach field perimeter and the soil physical, hydrologic, and chemical properties analyzed in the field and with laboratory methods. The results from this study will inform land managers and local governments on pollutants that need to be managed to protect human health, natural resources, and the environment. Educational materials will be prepared and distributed at the annual Athens Water Festival. One graduate student will be directly involved in the project and will be trained in a wide selection of field and laboratory techniques.The object of this project is to investigate the current period of intensive rainfall and septic system use and how it may generate novel hotspots of biogeochemical activity in both soil and soil water. The core hypothesis is that enhanced nutrient loading in septic leach fields during this period of increased septic stress (COVID-19 and weather related) will drive shifts in quantity and composition of organic matter in soil and soil water, along with shifts in overall biogeochemical cycling. This research project will address three objectives: 1. Estimate the impact of leach fields on soil and soil water biogeochemistry using a comparative approach. 2. Identify potential hotspots of change in nutrients and soil organic matter with enough spatial and temporal resolution to generate larger-scale hotspot predictions. 3. Estimate potential nutrient and organic matter loading being delivered to water bodies from related stress in septic system functioning and to septic system maintenance. By investigating the impacts of extreme weather events and increased septic system demand, this work will provide critical insights to shifts in soil water and related aquatic nutrient loading. Understanding these shifts will provide local governments information related to long-term use of septic systems, and management challenges related to future climate regimes. The PIs anticipate working with local agencies and outreach specialists to develop new septic educational material to be distributed at the annual Athens Water Festival, taking advantage of an on-going collaboration with Clarke County. The PI is a new researcher, and one graduate student will be directly involved in the project and will be trained in a wide selection of field and laboratory techniques.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.