Watershed and land use–based sources of trace metals in urban storm water

Abstract

Trace metal contributions in urban storm water are of concern to environmental managers because of their potential impacts on ambient receiving waters. The mechanisms and processes that influence temporal and spatial patterns of trace metal loading in urban storm water, however, are not well understood. The goals of the present study were to quantify trace metal event mean concentration (EMC), flux, and mass loading associated with storm water runoff from representative land uses; to compare EMC, flux, and mass loading associated with storm water runoff from urban (developed) and nonurban (undeveloped) watersheds; and to investigate within-storm and within-season factors that affect trace metal concentration and flux. To achieve these goals, trace metal concentrations were measured in 315 samples over 11 storm events in five southern California, USA, watersheds representing eight different land use types during the 2000 through 2005 storm seasons. In addition, 377 runoff samples were collected from 12 mass emission sites (end of watershed) during 15 different storm events. Mean flux at land use sites ranged from 24 to 1,238, 0.1 to 1,272, and 6 to 33,189 g/km(2) for total copper, total lead, and total zinc, respectively. Storm water runoff from industrial land use sites contained higher EMCs and generated greater flux of trace metals than other land use types. For all storms sampled, the highest metal concentrations occurred during the early phases of storm water runoff, with peak concentrations usually preceding peak flow. Early season storms produced significantly higher metal flux compared with late season storms at both mass emission and land use sites.

Lateral and longitudinal patterns of water physico-chemistry and trace metal distribution and partitioning in a large river floodplain

“…Other studies associated increased Cu and Zn with industrial (Tiefenthaler et al, 2008) or urbanized areas (Cai et al, 2015;Sliva and Williams, 2001), while Pb seems more associated with densely populated areas and agriculture (Cai et al, 2015;Tiefenthaler et al, 2008). In our study, Cd, Cu and Pb concentrations increased in the Lower Rhône, in conjunction with an increase of urbanized areas and permanent crops.…”

Recurrent Die-Offs of Adult Coho Salmon Returning to Spawn in Puget Sound Lowland Urban Streams

“…On the one hand, urban runoff typically contains organic chemicals and metals in the low parts per billion to parts per trillion range (e.g., [36], [37]), well below levels that would be expected to cause fish kills based on established median lethal (LC 50 ) concentrations for rainbow trout and other salmonids. On the other hand, to our knowledge, there have been no toxicological studies on freshwater-transitional adult coho.…”

Coho salmon spawner mortality in western US urban watersheds: bioinfiltration prevents lethal storm water impacts

“…In the autumn of 2011, returning adult coho were exposed to artificial storm water containing mixtures of PAHs and metals. The mixtures were comprised of individual compounds at concentrations at or above those measured during autumn storm events in Seattle-area urban streams (Seattle Public Utilities 2007), or at levels representative of urban storm water run-off more generally (Stein, Tiefenthaler & Schiff 2006;Gobel, Dierkes & Coldewey 2007;Tiefenthaler, Stein & Schiff 2008). The PAH profile of urban run-off is compositionally similar to that of crude oil, particularly for toxic three-and four-ring compounds (McIntyre et al 2014).…”