New publication reviews phosphorus sources, transport pathways, and control solutions in urban stormwater runoff

Urbanization alters phosphorus (P) cycling by increasing its transport from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems through stormwater runoff, contributing to downstream eutrophication and water quality degradation. Our new review synthesizes current knowledge on the sources, transport pathways, concentrations, loads, and chemical forms of P in urban stormwater, using published literature and the International Stormwater Best Management Practices Database. We also evaluate the effectiveness of stormwater best management practices (BMPs), such as stormwater ponds and bioretention cells, which show highly variable performance in reducing P export, especially for reactive dissolved P. The review highlights that urban stormwater P originates from multiple sources, making P loads difficult to predict and manage. It further identifies key research needs, including P transformations within BMPs, subsurface transport, interactions with other pollutants, and climate change impacts on urban P dynamics. 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2025-0247