Further developments in self-fertilising geotextiles for use in pervious pavements

Abstract

Geotextiles incorporating inorganic nutrients (particularly phosphorous) to enhance the growth of oil degrading microoganisms when geotextiles are used in pervious pavement applications have been shown to be effective in the past. However the cost and manufacturing difficulties have been a barrier to their use. A polypropylene random mat geotextile incorporating an alternative polymer additive as a source of phosphorus has been investigated as a potential self-fertilising geotextile. Experiments are reported which investigate nutrient leach rates, biofilm formation and biodegradation activity.

Stable biofilms of Rhodococcus erythropolis T902.1 in draining pavement structures for runoff water decontamination

“…As an alternative, other nutrients (N, P, K) could also be added in right proportions to improve microbial growth and degradation rates and to avoid this secondary metabolism caused by a prolonged high C/N ratio. This solution, with the placement of a geotextile between the bedding layer and the base, might ensure maximal retention of organic pollutants, as well as the implementation of a microbial niche for their efficient degradation (Newman et al, 2011).…”

Potential microbial toxicity and non-target impact of different concentrations of glyphosate-containing herbicide (GCH) in a model pervious paving system

“…Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) Optima 5300DV© (Newman et al, 2011) supplied by Perkin Elmer, USA. Equipment calibration was accomplished by the use of standard concentrations which were made up using the 1000ppm analytical grade standards supplied by Fisher Scientific, UK.…”

“…In biodegradation studies (Newman et al 2011), the absence of nitrogen or phosphorous (or both) are the most common limiting nutrients which inhibit growth of biota required to breakdown contaminants. Nutrients in the PPS may have been obtained from 3 different sources:…”

State of a sustainable drainage system at end-of-life: assessment of potential water pollution by leached metals from recycled pervious pavement materials when used as secondary aggregate

“…In 2011, the number of houses which converted front gardens into paved surfaces for car parking almost doubled in the past 20 years, from just 16% of houses in 1991 to 30% in 2011 (RAC Foundation 2012). Since planning controls are increasingly demanding surfaces paved so as to be permeable, these cities are increasingly depending largely on urban landscape of which pavement structures are important components as sustainable urban drainage devices (Newman et al 2011;Nnadi et al 2015) and an embodiment of urban culture (Zhou et al 2015). These pavement structures are low impact development (LID) features designed to mimic the predevelopment hydrology of a milieu by using design techniques which detain, infiltrate, treat, store and evaporate runoff at source (LID Centre 2007).…”