Time and Spatial Variability in Concentrations of Selected Pollutants in the New Bypass Rainwater Harvesting System

Abstract

The level of pollution and the variability of rainwater runoff quality collected in reservoirs next to the new Lublin bypass (south-eastern Poland) were assessed in this scientific paper. In the rainwater harvesting and treatment system, two types of reservoirs with different construction, size and presence of pre-treatment devices were used. Laboratory tests involved selected physical, oxygen, biogenic, salinity indicators, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Particularly large variability in concentrations included NO2-, TP, PO43-, K+ and Cl-. Parameters decreasing the water quality were mainly conductivity, BOD5, COD, NO2-, TP and Cl-. High concentrations of salt and phosphorus in collected rainwater require great care in final management (risk of salinization and eutrophication). In the second year of research, there was significant deterioration of water quality, which may result from different weather conditions and gradual accumulation of pollutants in new reservoirs. Not many significant differences were found in the quality of water collected in reservoirs with pre-treatment and without it. Loads of heavy metals and aromatic hydrocarbons in reservoirs were relatively small. However, these impurities have high durability and the ability to accumulate in the environment. Therefore, further studies should also take into account monitoring of bottom sediments and areas adjacent to the bypass.

Effect of transport infrastructure development on selected components of the environment of inner-city river valley and the possibility of its revitalization (Lublin, Poland)

“…Except for NH 4 + and PO 4 3− the content of which remained almost identical in both periods, the content of other nutrients fell within the range of 23.3–39.0% (Table 1 ). The new bypass took over not only a significant part of vehicle traffic, but also related pollution (Zubala and Patro 2021 ).…”

Rainwater treatment: an approach for drinking water provision to indigenous people in Ecuadorian Amazon

“…The management of rainwater is critical due to several factors that determine their quality. Even in urban areas, there are many conditions that have limited the development of effective solutions for rainwater management (Zubala and Patro 2021). In rural areas, the case of the study area is difficult to control the collection conditions since some cultural and structural factors limit the improvement of inhabitant practices.…”

Isolation and Identification of a Carbon-Fixing Bacteria Strain and Its Efficiency for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal from Viaduct Rainwater

“…Once it rains, large amounts of suspended solids, pathogens, heavy metals, microplastics, automobile exhaust, petroleum hydrocarbons, and other organic and inorganic pollutants mix in viaduct rainwater [1][2][3][4]. The pollution level of the actual viaduct rainwater is high with 15-320 mg/L of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 0.15-2.00 mg/L of NH 4 + -N, 0.1-7.5 mg/L of total nitrogen (TN), and 0.05-20.0 mg/L of total phosphorus (TP), generally exceeding the level of sewage [5][6][7]. According to statistics, the total amount of pollutants from road and bridge surfaces accounts for over 15% of the total non-point source pollution load of rivers [8].…”

“…The latest research report indicates that urban non-point source pollution still contributes up to 50% of the water pollution load in China's central cities [9]. If viaduct rainwater is not treated, pollutants on the viaduct surface will be discharged into the surrounding water bodies, seriously impacting the water environment [7,10].…”

“…In order to reduce the water environment problems caused by viaduct rainwater, viaduct construction usually contains on-site rainwater treatment devices such as rainwater treatment tanks, which can achieve the purification effect through natural sedimentation, material filtration, and plant purification [7,11]. However, affected by unstable water quality and quantity and the high instantaneous flow rate of viaduct rainwater, these devices often encounter a problem of long-term operation stability, resulting in poor purification efficiency [5].…”