How do sediment controls affect total suspended solids (TSS) in runoff?

How do sediment controls affect total suspended solids (TSS) in runoff?

• A. They increase suspended solids (TSS) in runoff.
• B. They reduce suspended solids (TSS) in runoff, limiting sediment transport.
• C. They have no effect on TSS.
• D. They only affect turbidity but not sediment transport.

Answer: (B)

Sediment controls reduce total suspended solids in runoff by trapping and letting sediment settle before it leaves the site. TSS is the amount of solids that remain suspended in the water, so practices like silt fences, sediment basins, check dams, stabilized slopes, and vegetation slow and capture eroded soil, lowering how much sediment is carried away. While turbidity often mirrors TSS, they’re not identical, and sediment controls specifically limit sediment transport rather than just changing water clarity. So, sediment controls decrease TSS in runoff by reducing the amount of sediment that gets off-site.

Sediment controls reduce total suspended solids in runoff by trapping and letting sediment settle before it leaves the site. TSS is the amount of solids that remain suspended in the water, so practices like silt fences, sediment basins, check dams, stabilized slopes, and vegetation slow and capture eroded soil, lowering how much sediment is carried away. While turbidity often mirrors TSS, they’re not identical, and sediment controls specifically limit sediment transport rather than just changing water clarity. So, sediment controls decrease TSS in runoff by reducing the amount of sediment that gets off-site.