Critical evaluation of compost erosion control blankets (CECBs) against conventional best management practices (BMPs) for the prevention and control of soil erosion, nutrient loss and storm water runoff from engineered slopes under simulated UK conditions

Abstract

In recent decades increasing attention has been dedicated to issues of sustainable land management. Soil is essential for a number of functions and services which are central to the sustainability of agro-ecosystems and the global economy. Consequently soil management and specifically soil erosion including, erosion from construction activities, is moving up the political and legislative agenda. This thesis investigated the suitability of Compost Erosion Control Blankets (CECBs) for runoff and erosion control, on construction sites under two simulated rainfall events (5 and 75 year return period storm events (PRSE)) as compared with currently adopted Best Management Practices (BMPs). Two grades of BSI BSI PAS 100:2005 compost, namely CECB0-20mm and CECB0-40mm, were tested against two Erosion Control Blankets (ECBs), namely ECBstraw and ECBcoir, and control bare soil plots. Treatment performance was evaluated in terms of a range of attributes including runoff rate, volume and time to runoff initiation and total suspended solid TSS and nitrogen and phosphorous levels in runoff. In addition, nitrogen and phosphorous levels in leachate were also investigated.