Urban Stormwater Runoff Research Articles

Karenia brevis and Pyrodinium bahamense Utilization of Dissolved Organic Matter in Urban Stormwater Runoff and Rainfall Entering Tampa Bay, Florida

This study investigated how nitrogen and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from stormwater runoff and rainfall support the growth of Karenia brevis and Pyrodinium bahamense. Excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis tracked changes in the optical properties of DOM in each bioassay, revealing greater reactivity of terrestrial humic-like DOM. Significant increases in cell yield and specific growth rates were observed upon additions of runoff for both species, with significant increases in specific growth rates upon the addition of a 2 in simulated rain event for P. bahamense only. By hour 48, 100% of the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in each treatment was utilized by P. bahamense, and by hour 72, over 50% of the DON was utilized by K. brevis. The percentage of bioavailable dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was greater for P. bahamense compared to K. brevis, suggesting a greater affinity for DOC compounds by P. bahamense. However, the bioavailability of DOM for each species could be owed to distinct chemical characteristics of labile DOM conveyed from each site. This study demonstrates that stormwater runoff and rainfall are both sources of labile DOM and DON for K. brevis and P. bahamense, which has implications for blooms of these species in Tampa Bay waters.

Small-Size Microplastics in Urban Stormwater Runoff are Efficiently Trapped in a Bioretention Cell

Small-Size Microplastics in Urban Stormwater Runoff are Efficiently Trapped in a Bioretention Cell

Performance of Inclined-Plate Settler and Activated Carbon Sponge-Cube Media Filter for the Treatment of Urban Stormwater Runoff from an Industrial Complexs

Urban stormwater runoff contributes to the deterioration of water quality of urban waterbodies. Development of a cost-effective treatment system that renders the treated effluent suitable for the recharge of receiving waterbodies meeting stringent regulations is required. This study evaluated the performances of the inclined-plate settler (IPS) and activated carbon sponge-cube media filter (ASMF) in treating urban stormwater runoff from an industrial complex area. The stormwater runoff during the first hour of rainfall had significantly high concentrations of suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total nitrogen. The IPS and ASMF bed with hydraulic retention times of 15 ± 5 and < 3 min showed the removal efficiency of 5.4 – 33.2% and 32.8 – 95.1% for SS, turbidity, COD, and TP including < 5 – 20% for TN. The combined IPS/ASMF or biofilm (BF)-ASMF system at filtration velocity of 10 m/h showed removal efficiencies of 46.7 – 99.2% for insoluble fractions such as turbidity, COD, TP and heavy metals including < 40% for TN. The ASMF or BF-ASMF bed coupled with IPS is a cost-effective option for the treatment of urban stormwater runoff, achieving an effluent quality suitable for industrial or multipurpose reuse and for the recharge of waterbodies.

Land use-based characterization and source apportionment of microplastics in urban storm runoffs in a tropical region

Urban stormwater runoff has been suggested as one important land-based pathway of microplastics (MPs) entering the oceans, in which the abundance and characteristics of MPs may be influenced by urban land use types. However, little information has been reported regarding this, especially in the tropical monsoon region. This study first reports the MPs in urban stormwater runoffs in a tropical monsoon region that were collected from four typical urban land use types, including industrial, highways, commercial, and residential areas. The average MP particle count and mass concentration were measured as 4.7 ± 3.5 particles/L and 3.8 ± 2.9 mg/L, respectively. MP abundances showed clear urban land use gradients following the order of industrial > transportation > commercial > residential area. In terms of the seasonal variation in MP abundances, a slightly increasing particle count in the dry season was noted for the residential site. Source apportionment of MPs in stormwater runoffs was demonstrated based on the land use type, particle morphology, and chemical compositions. With the simple apportionment approach, approximately 85% of the MP sources were able to be identified in the industrial, transportation, and residential sites. However, the commercial site showed high variability in terms of the morphology and polymer type of MPs. Furthermore, significantly positive correlations between MP abundance and runoff turbidity, TSS, COD, and rainfall intensity were identified, while, no significant correlation was found between MP characteristics and selected water quality/meteorological parameters.

Evaluating the Impact of Urban Stormwater Runoff by Street Tree Canopy

Impervious area increase by urbanization and flash flood by climate change lead to abrupt increase in urban stormwater, unlike in the past. Currently, street trees play a significant role in urban environmental improvement such as green space, urban heat reduction, and air pollution reduction. In addition, transpiration from leaf canopy in an urban water cycle significantly impacts the decrease in urban stormwater runoff. In this study, leaf canopy, as in earlier areas, was evaluated for the impact of decreasing urban stormwater. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) for urban stormwater runoff, Geographic Information System (GIS) for its input extraction, and image process for calculating the leaf canopy area were utilized. The simulation results indicated that flood runoff peak based on 20 frequency of sewer facility standard and 80 frequency of local river design standard decreased by 1.08% and 1.44%, respectively.

Evaluation of a Modular Filter Concept to Reduce Microplastics and Other Solids from Urban Stormwater Runoff

This paper describes an innovative Decentralized Technical Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) concept, which is based on technical devices, such as sieves, sedimentation barriers, floating barriers and a magnetic module, which addresses, mainly, the fine matter. The SuDS is designed as a retrofit system so that no costly and time-consuming conversion measures are necessary. Due to the possibility of free configurability of individual modules in the three levels, road, gully and drain, a novel solution approach is presented, which is not available on the market, for a reduction in solids in general and microplastics in particular. The retention performance of selected modules and their combinations is demonstrated by means of bench tests according to the test procedure of the German Institute for Construction Engineering (DIBt) for the evaluation of decentralized treatment systems. Four different rain intensities, from light to medium up to heavy rain, are charged to the filter modules. Collected and fractionated road-deposited sediment (RDS) was selected as the test substance (10 kg). Additional tests with tyre powder, PE pellets, cigarette butts and candy wrappers helped to make clear the filter process of the particulate matter. The retention performance was determined by the mass balance between the defined dosage and at the outlet. For this purpose, the total volume flow of the effluent was passed over a stainless-steel sieve with a diameter of 600 mm and a mesh size of 20 µm. For the test substance, RDS retention rates up to 97% were measured. Very fine matter, particularly, was technically challenging to obtain; &lt;63 µm up to 66% could be retained by the filter modules. Modules in the road space, such as porous asphalt or additional retention spaces, in the area of the curb as well as direct infiltration in the road drainage shaft are theoretically described and discussed. The outlook also addresses the potential of an intelligent network to reduce the input of pollution from urban stormwater runoff.

Field Application of Spent Lime Water Treatment Residual for the Removal of Phosphorus and other Pollutants in Urban Stormwater Runoff

The threat of anthropogenic eutrophication and harmful algal blooms in lakes requires the development of innovative stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the external loading of phosphorus (P). This paper presents the findings of a 5-year study of a full-scale P removal structure constructed in Minnesota, USA with spent lime drinking water treatment residual (DWTR), a by-product of water softening at a local water treatment plant. Influent and effluent water samples were collected by auto-samplers during 43 storm events during the growing season. Samples were analyzed for P constituents, heavy metals, total suspended solids (TSS), and pH. Toxicity of the effluent was assessed using Ceriodaphnia dubia. Flow-weighted removal effectiveness was calculated for each storm event. Overall, the spent lime DWTR reduced total P loading by 70.9%, dissolved reactive P by 78.5%, dissolved P by 74.7%, and TSS by 58.5%. A significant reduction in heavy metals was also observed. Toxicity tests indicated the aquatic toxicity of the effluent treated with spent lime DWTR was not different from untreated stormwater. This study provided long-term real-world data that demonstrated that a full-scale P removal structure with spent lime DWTR significantly reduced P and other pollutants in stormwater discharging to an urban lake. Therefore, spent lime DWTR, which is currently treated as a waste product, is a promising filter material for stormwater treatment.

Insights into the Associations between Optical and Molecular Signatures of Dissolved Organic Matter from Urban Stormwater Runoff

Modern fluorescence techniques are widely employed to determine the dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescent components and quality in urban stormwater runoff. However, its molecular basis is still poorly defined, leading to unclear and unspecific interpretations of fluorescence characterization. This research focused on the correlation analysis between optical and molecular signatures of DOM. The optical parameters are effectively correlated with the individual molecules detected by mass spectrometry. Moreover, molecular characterization parameters are also associated with three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy in reverse. Through nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), the fluorescence indices tracing the source of DOM are effectively categorized and verified by molecular characteristics. Meanwhile, Spearman rank correlation analysis indicated that humic-like components derived from microbial- and tryptophan-like compositions are associated with aromaticity; however, terrestrial humic-like constituents are closely correlated with H/C, O/C, and N/C ratios. In addition, the molecular mechanism of four fluorescent components indicated that the nitrogen (N)-containing components, reduced constituents, and aliphatic compounds are resistant to degradation, while the oxidized and aromatic components are preferentially removed. Those signatures observed for individual molecules are consistent with the bulk characteristics of DOM, as reflected by optical properties.

Simulation of Urban Storm Water Runoff Control Based on Big Data

The acceleration of urbanization has brought about rapid economic development, but at the same time, it has also brought some damage to the ecological environment. The proportion of hardened area of the ground is higher and higher, and the rainwater runoff pollution caused by rainfall is more and more serious. In order to follow the sustainable development strategy, and for the more stable and high-speed economic development, the control of rainwater runoff pollution is urgent. The purpose of this paper is to simulate the urban storm water runoff control and find the most suitable scheme for storm water runoff pollution control. Because the simulation of SWMM is more accurate than other models, it can directly reflect the situation of rainwater runoff pollution, so the model selected for rainwater runoff in this paper is SWMM, and then build the model, through the collection and collation of the basic data of the study area, the generalization of the sub catchment area and drainage network is completed. Through the analysis of the characteristics of the study area, the rainwater garden and permeable pavement are determined as the scheme to control the rainwater runoff in the study area. Finally, the SWMM model is used to simulate the control effect of rainwater garden and pervious pavement on rainwater runoff pollution control. The experimental results show that the storm water garden can effectively control the impact of SS scouring effect on the environment, significantly reduce the discharge of SS, and significantly reduce the peak concentration of SS, and its ability to control SS increases with the thickness of the surface plant layer. The control ability of rain permeable brick pavement to SS increases with the increase of surface porosity, that is, the control effect of SS is the best when the porosity is 20%.

Urban Stormwater Runoff: A Major Pathway for Anthropogenic Particles, Black Rubbery Fragments, and Other Types of Microplastics to Urban Receiving Waters

Stormwater runoff has been suggested to be a significant pathway of microplastics to aquatic habitats; yet, few studies have quantified microplastics in stormwater. Here, we quantify and characteri...

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Quinones in Urban and Rural Stormwater Runoff: Effects of Land Use and Storm Characteristics

Changes in streamwater concentrations in two creeks draining contrasting urbanized landscapes in southern Ontario, Canada, during a major summer rainfall event were used to assess how land use and ...

Adsorption of Metals to Particles in Urban Stormwater Runoff—Does Size Really Matter?

The parameter total suspended solids (TSS) is often used to evaluate the need for stormwater treatment or to assess the effectiveness of treatment measures. The purpose of this study is to analyze the value and the limitations of this approach using metals as an example. They are of major concern due to their accumulating effects in the environment. Data of a monitoring campaign at a stormwater treatment facility is evaluated. TSS, organic matter and the associated metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) were analyzed in four different particle size fractions (&lt;63 µm, 63–125 µm, 125–250 µm, and 250–2000 µm). While the highest event meant concentrations for all metals were found in the smallest fraction, a rather uniform particulate bound metal concentration (mass of metal per mass of particulate matter) over the first three particle size fractions was detected. Total metal loads correlated well with TSS even better with TSS &lt; 63 µm. However, the removal efficiency in terms of the reduction of the total metal load was not reflected sufficiently by the TSS or TSS &lt; 63 µm removal efficiency.

Molecular Chemo-diversity of the Dissolved Organic Matter Occurring in Urban Stormwater Runoff

Stormwater runoff pollution occurring in urban areas can be a notable threat to the ecological environments of receiving water bodies. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) constitutes the primary type of pollutant in stormwater runoff, and tracking of its components and sources can provide valuable scientific bases for the future abatement of stormwater runoff pollution. In this study, aiming to demonstrate the characteristics and sources of the contained DOM in both pavement runoff (PR) and greenland runoff (GR), we applied ultra-high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) to analyze the molecular chemo-diversity of their DOM, as well as Spearman rank correlations between the molecular chemo-diversity and water quality indicators including suspended solids (SS), total nitrogen (TN), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved lead (Pb). The results show:① When the molecular accumulation reaches a saturated state, the cumulative number of molecules of PR-DOM (12498) is much larger than that of GR-DOM (7015). The molecular distribution of PR-DOM (150-750) is smaller yet more concentrated than that of GR-DOM (150-850). ② According to the molecular composition characterization and Spearman rank correlation analysis, the sources of the components of PR-DOM and GR-DOM are remarkably different. PR-DOM can be greatly influenced by human activities, and its primary element component (CHOS) contains a large number of substances that were recognized to be from the surfactant sulfonic acid. Additionally, the significant aliphatic components that emerged were from traffic pollution. In contrast, GR-DOM is less affected by human activities, and its primary element component (CHO) gives priority to natural organic matter (NOM). The most abundant substance component that occurred in GR-DOM, i.e., the highly unsaturated and phenolic compound that generally originates in the degraded humus, is initially formed by the plant residue and flushed by rainfall runoff.

Concentrations and Loads of Dissolved and Particulate Organic Carbon in Urban Stormwater Runoff

Urban landscapes are significant contributors of organic carbon (OC) in receiving waters, where elevated levels of OC limit the light availability, increase the transport of pollutants, and result in high costs of potable water treatment. Our objective in this study was to investigate the concentrations, fractions (dissolved and particulate), and loads of OC in a residential catchment (3.89 ha drainage area) located in Florida, United States. The outlet of the stormwater pipe draining the residential catchment was instrumented with an automated sampler, a flowmeter, and a rain gauge. The rainfall and runoff samples collected over 25 storm events during the 2016 wet season (June to September) were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total organic carbon (TOC), with particulate OC (POC) calculated as the difference between TOC and DOC. Mean concentration of DOC was 2.3 ± 1.7 mg L−1 and POC was 0.3 ± 0.3 mg L−1 in the rainfall, whereas DOC was 10.5 ± 6.20 mg L−1 and POC was 2.00 ± 4.05 mg L−1 in the stormwater runoff. Concentrations of DOC were higher during the rising limb of the hydrograph in 15 out of 25 storm events, suggesting flushing of DOC, with an increase in the amount of runoff, from the landscape sources in the residential catchment. The estimated total export of OC during the 2016 wet season was 66.0 kg ha−1, of which DOC was 56.9 kg ha−1 (86.2% of TOC), and POC was 9.1 kg ha−1 (13.8% of TOC). High concentrations and loads of OC, especially DOC, in the stormwater runoff imply that residential catchments in urban watersheds are hot-spots of DOC influx to water bodies. Reducing DOC transport in the urban landscapes is complex and require identifying the origin of DOC and then using site-specific targeted approaches to mitigate DOC loss.

A Review of Nitrogen Removal for Urban Stormwater Runoff in Bioretention System

One of the best management practices (BMPs) for stormwater quality and quantity control is a bioretention system. The removal efficiency of different pollutants under this system is generally satisfactory, except for nitrogen which is deficient in certain bioretention systems. Nitrogen has a complex biogeochemical cycle, and thus the removal processes of nitrogen are typically slower than other pollutants. This study summarizes recent studies that have focused on nitrogen removal for urban stormwater runoff and discusses the latest advances in bioretention systems. The performance, influencing factors, and design enhancements are comprehensively reviewed in this paper. The review of current literature reveals that a bioretention system shows great promise due to its ability to remove nitrogen from stormwater runoff. Combining nitrification and denitrification zones with the addition of a carbon source and selecting different plant species promote nitrogen removal. Nevertheless, more studies on nitrogen transformations in a bioretention system and the relationships between different design factors need to be undertaken.

Modified Media for Heavy Metals and COD Removal from Urban Stormwater Runoff Using Pilot Bioretention Systems

Modified Media for Heavy Metals and COD Removal from Urban Stormwater Runoff Using Pilot Bioretention Systems

Assessing Hydrological Effects of Bioretention Cells for Urban Stormwater Runoff in Response to Climatic Changes

An investigation into the effectiveness of bioretention cells (BCs) under potential climatic changes was conducted using representative concentration pathways. A case study of Guangzhou showed changes in peak runoff in climate change scenarios, with obvious growth in RCP8.5 and slight growth in RCP2.6. The performance of BCs on multiple parameters, including reduction of runoff volume, peak runoff, and first flush, were examined in different design storms using a hydrology model (SWMM). The effectiveness of BCs varied non-linearly with scale. Their performance fell by varying amounts in the various scenarios. BCs could provide sufficient effects in response to short-return-period and short-duration storms, but the performance of BCs decreased with heavy storms, especially considering climate change. Hence, BCs cannot replace grey infrastructure but should be integrated with them. The method developed in this study could be useful in the planning and design of low impact development in view of future climate changes.

Impact of Urban Stormwater Runoff on Cyanobacteria Dynamics in A Tropical Urban Lake

Worldwide, eutrophication and cyanobacteria blooms in lakes and reservoirs are a great concern for water resources management. Coupling a catchment hydrological model and a lake model has been a strategy to assess the impact of land use, agricultural practices and climate change on water quality. However, research has mainly focused on large lakes, while urban reservoirs and their catchments, especially in tropical regions, are still poorly studied despite the wide range of ecosystem services they provide. An integrated modelling approach coupling the hydrological model Storm Water Management Model SWMM and the lake ecological model DYRESM-CAEDYM is proposed for Lake Pampulha (Brazil). Scenarios of increased imperviousness of the catchment and of reduction in the load of nutrients and total suspended solids (TSS) in dry weather inflow were simulated. Runoff water quality simulations presented a fair performance for TSS and ammonium (NH4+) while the dynamics of total phosphorus (TP) and nitrate (NO3−) were poorly captured. Phytoplankton dynamics in the lake were simulated with good accuracy (Normalized Mean Absolute Error, NMAE = 0.24 and r = 0.89 in calibration period; NMAE = 0.55 and r = 0.54 in validation period). The general trends of growth, decline and the magnitude of phytoplankton biomass were well represented most of the time. Scenario simulations suggest that TP reduction will decrease cyanobacteria biomass and delay its peaks as a consequence of orthophosphate (PO43−) concentration reduction in the lake surface layers. However, even decreasing TP load into Lake Pampulha by half would not be sufficient to achieve the water quality objective of a maximum concentration of 60 µg chla L−1. Increased imperviousness in the catchment will raise runoff volume, TSS, TP and NO3− loads into Lake Pampulha and promote greater cyanobacteria biomass, mainly in the beginning of the wet season, because of additional nutrient input from catchment runoff. Recovering Lake Pampulha water quality will require the improvement of the sanitation system. The lake water quality improvement will also require more sustainable and nature-based solutions for urban drainage in order to reduce non-point pollution through infiltration and retention of stormwater and to enhance natural processes, such as chemical sorption, biodegradation and phytoremediation. The integrated modelling approach here proposed can be applied for other urban reservoirs taking advantage of existing knowledge on Lake Pampulha.

Aluminum-Impregnated Biochar for Adsorption of Arsenic(V) in Urban Stormwater Runoff

AbstractBiochar has recently emerged for the alleviation of various pollutants in urban runoff. However, the adsorption of arsenate (a frequently identified pollutant in urban runoff) with biochar ...

A Comparison of Sources and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Urban Stormwater Runoff from Ground and Highway Roads in Shanghai, China

Sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in the runoffs of a ground road and elevated highway were monitored to analyze sources of PAH pollution between the two roads. The sources and potential toxicity effects of PAHs in the runoffs of the two kinds of road were evaluated. The arithmetic mean concentrations of a total of 16 PAHs in the runoffs of the ground road and elevated highway were respectively 1761 and 4153 ng/L. The individual PAH distributions had similar trends for the two kinds of road runoff, and BbF, FlA, Chy and BghiP were dominant PAHs. Coal/natural gas combustion, gasoline emission, diesel emission and oil leakage were identified as potential PAH sources for both road runoffs, but made different contributions. The potential toxicological effects of PAH sources in runoff were assessed by combining the total toxic BaP equivalent (TEQ) values with estimated source contributions. Results showed that (gasoline and diesel) vehicle emissions had the highest TEQ values, while coal/natural gas combustion and oil leakage had relatively low TEQ values. Reducing vehicle emissions is the most effective way to alleviate PAH toxic pollution in urban runoff, with road cleaning being another good choice.