Abstract
Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) such as swales are designed to collect, store and infiltrate a large amount of surface runoff water during heavy rainfall. Stormwater is known to transport pollutants, such as particle-bound Potential Toxic Elements (PTE), which are known to often accumulate in the topsoil. A portable XRF instrument (pXRF) is used to provide in situ spatial characterization of soil pollutants, specifically lead (Pb), zink (Zn) and copper (Cu). The method uses pXRF measurements of PTE along profiles with set intervals (1 m) to cover the swale with cross-sections, across the inlet, the deepest point and the outlet. Soil samples are collected, and the In-Situ measurements are verified by the results from laboratory analyses. Stormwater is here shown to be the transporting media for the pollutants, so it is of importance to investigate areas most prone to flooding and infiltration. This quick scan method is time and cost-efficient, easy to execute and the results are comparable to any known (inter)national threshold criteria for polluted soils. The results are of great importance for all stakeholders in cities that are involved in climate adaptation and implementing green infrastructure in urban areas. However, too little is still known about the long-term functioning of the soil-based SuDS facilities.
Highlights
In urban and densely populated areas, surface runoff can carry material residue produced by daily human activity and has been identified as an important pathway for pollutants that enter receiving water bodies [1,2]
This paper proposes a methodology for mapping Potential Toxic Elements (PTE), including lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), in situ in topsoil in Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS)
In order to provide quality control of the in situ portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) measurements, at least one soil sample was collected at every location to be analyzed in using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in a laboratory
Summary
In urban and densely populated areas, surface runoff can carry material residue produced by daily human activity and has been identified as an important pathway for pollutants that enter receiving water bodies [1,2]. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS, called green infrastructure (GI), best management practices (BMP), low impact development (LID), water sensitive urban design (WSUD), ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), nature-based solutions (NBS) and others [3]) are constructed to receive, store and infiltrate surface water to restore the groundwater balance and to remove pollutants, such as lead, zinc and copper [4]. Systematic, large scale investigation of environmental-technical rainwater facilities has not been conducted due to the high cost of soil analysis. Past research indicates that contamination is restricted to the upper 10 to 30 cm of soil [9]. In the quick scan method, a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) measures a range of elements, including PTE.
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