Assessment of Suspended Solids Concentration in Highway Runoff and its Treatment Implication

Abstract

It is understood that the major pollution from storm water is related to the content of particulate matter. One treatment practice is based on the first flush, i.e. detention of the initial part of the runoff that is considered to contain the highest concentrations of pollutants. This study has evaluated the concentration of total suspended solids in 30 consecutive runoff events during the winter season for an area of 6.7 hectares. A six-lane highway (E4) that has an annual average daily traffic load of 120,000 dominates the area and road de-icing salt (NaCl) and studded tires were in regular use during the studied period. The effluent standard for wastewater of 60 mg TSS per litre applied in EU was used to assess the treatment requirement of storm water. In only two of the events the event mean concentration was below 60 mg 1(-1). In four runoff events a partial event mean concentration below 60 mg 1(-1) was found, in 26 %, 12 %, 11 %, and 2 % respectively of the runoff volume. This would suggest that a capture of the initial part of the runoff for subsequent treatment is less applicable in this type of urban watershed.

Concentrations and Retention Efficiency of Tire Wear Particles from Road Runoff in Bioretention Cells

“…An average of 12.8 ± 2.1 L of road runoff with a TWP concentration of 77.2 ± 4.9 mg/L passed through each column (Table 2). With a concentration of solid particles >25 µm of 367 mg/L, the influent was within the range of total suspended solids concentrations reported in highway stormwater (49-980 and 8-810 mg/L [49,50]). The physical and chemical properties of the soil used in this experiment fulfilled the requirements of bioretention applications with respect to infiltration and plant growth (Supplementary Materials Section S1).…”

Relationship between Urban Runoff Pollutant and Catchment Characteristics

“…Europe: Stotz and Krauth (1994), Barbosa and Hvitved-Jacobsen (1999), Legret and Colandini (1999), Pettersson et al (1999), Gnecco et al (2005), Hallberg and Renman (2006), Hallberg et al (2007).…”

Seasonal Flushing of Pollutant Concentrations and Loads in Urban Stormwater1

“…, 2005; Berretta et al. , 2007; Hallberg and Renman, 2008), and New Zealand (Pennington and Webster‐Brown, 2008). First flush observations have included potential pollutants such as total suspended solids (TSS), trace metals, nutrients, and organic pollutants (e.g., Nazahiyah et al.…”