Analysis of Pollution Characteristics and Sources of Rainfall Runoff from Roofs in the Central District of Beijing

Abstract

The rainwater and rainfall runoff of roofs in the central district of Beijing from June to September in 2019 were sampled and analyzed to study the characteristics of the water quality, the first flush effect, and the main influential factors and sources of pollutants. The results showed that the roof runoff was seriously polluted by total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, and total suspended solids whose event mean concentration (EMC) exceeded the fifth level of environmental quality standards for surface water (GB 3838-2002) (the EMC of suspended solids exceeded the second level of discharge standard of pollutants for municipal wastewater treatment plants (GB 18918-2002)). The rainwater was relatively less polluted than the rainfall runoff, but the EMC of ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen of the rainwater also exceeded the standard in some rainfall events. The first flush intensity of the rainfall runoffs was between weak and medium. The sequence of strength of the first flush of different pollutants was ammonia nitrogen>total suspended solids>chemical oxygen demand>total nitrogen>mercury>zinc>total phosphorus>lead. The concentration of total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and total phosphorus in roof runoff were significantly positively correlated with the length of rainfall and the dry period and negatively correlated with the rainfall intensity. According to the results of principal component analysis, the main pollutant in rainwater was nitrogen emitted by vehicles, and the main pollutants in roof runoffs were suspended solids, organic matters, and phosphorus pollutants released from the aging of roofing materials and the corrosion of metal down pipes.