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Road run-off water quality can be significantly impacted by many pollutants deposited on road surfaces through vehicular activities. Any control strategy for the improvement of water quality relating to organic and inorganic pollutants should be based on a detailed knowledge of pollutant built-up processes and the relationship of pollutants to one another. Total volatile suspended solids (VSS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals were estimated in total suspended solids (TSS) collected in two catchments. This study found a good relationship between total VSS and TSS and between TSS and PAHs. This relationship information can be utilized for the development of effective Best Management Practices for TSS control. However, the relationship between TSS and heavy metals was identified as being strong in only some cases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Artificial infiltration facilities (AIFs) that enhance groundwater recharge and regulate urban runoff are going to be an integral element of the urban infrastructure. However, AIFs provide a sink which trap pollutants that are likely to cause groundwater contamination. The current study aimed first to examine the mobility characteristics of Cu, Zn, and Pb through soil and soakaway sediment using an integrated analytical approach for column leaching with artificial road runoff (ARR) and then to differentiate the sorption patterns among different samples, (i.e., surface soil, underlying soil, and soakaway sediments) using mass balances. In addition, the study compares metal retention and release under continuous and intermittent flow conditions. Column leaching experiments were conducted using batches for 10 and 30d under continuous flow condition and for 20d of intermittent leaching. Heavy metal content and partitioning in soil and sediment used in columns were well characterized before and after leaching experiments. The results showed that a gradual increase in pH and decrease in dissolved organic carbon had pronounced effect on the mobilization of heavy metals. Pb showed the highest retention compared to Cu and Zn which implies that metal complexes play a pivotal role in metal transport. Labile fractions were found to be trapped by the solid materials for retention and their high concentration in ARR is a major concern from the pollution point of view through infiltration facilities. Results obtained in this study predict the risk associated with the release of retained heavy metal under changing environmental conditions in AIFs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Groundwater contamination by heavy metals from infiltration facilities receiving road runoff is of potential concern. In this study, sorption tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of the water quality of road runoff, especially dissolved organic matter (DOM), on the sorption of heavy metal species by soakaway sediment. Sequential batch tests were conducted to assess metal sorption by the soakaway sediment receiving road runoff from residential and heavily trafficked areas. Ni was adsorbed by the sediment, indicating that soakaway sediments function to prevent groundwater contamination by Ni. In contrast, Zn was released from the soakaway sediment in sorption tests using heavily trafficked road dust leachates. Ni, Cu, Zn, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were higher in soakaway sediment leachates obtained by sorption tests using heavily trafficked road dust leachates than those using residential road dust leachates, suggesting traffic activities contaminate these pollutants. A large portion of Zn, released from the soakaway sediment, existed as stable complexes. DOM in road runoff possibly enhances the release of Zn from the sediments within infiltration facilities and might cause groundwater contamination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Infiltration facilities are designed for both the retention of non-point pollutants and the replenishment of groundwater in urban areas. In this study, sorption tests were conducted to evaluate the speciation of heavy metals and their behaviour in infiltration facilities receiving urban road runoff containing high DOC concentrations and stable heavy metal organic complexes. Road dust and three soakaway sediments were collected from heavy traffic areas and a residential area with an infiltration-type sewerage system in Tokyo, Japan. Sequential multiple batch tests were conducted by adding prepared road dust leachate (artificial road runoff) or deionised water to soakaway sediment to obtain soakaway sediment leachate (artificial percolating water from soakaway sediment), which mimicked the sorption by sediments in soakaways receiving urban road runoff. Heavy metal speciation was assessed by means of a combination of anion-exchange resin measurements and MINTEQA2 model calculations, and further validated by chelating resin measurements. In road dust leachates and soakaway sediment leachates, Cu predominantly existed as organic complexes and carbonates, whereas most Mn, Zn and Cd were found to exist in the form of free ions and carbonate complexes. Stable organic complexes of Cu in road dust leachates were strongly adsorbed by soakaway sediments despite the limited adsorption of DOC. On the other hand, desorption of free Mn, Zn and Cd ions from the sediment receiving road dust leachates was observed, indicating that heavy metals such as Mn, Zn and Cd may ultimately reach groundwater as free ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Road and roof dust was collected and samples of runoff were taken at an urban storm sewer system in a residential area in Japan. Suspended solids (SS) in the runoff samples were classified into two fractions: fine (smaller than 45μm) and coarse (larger than 45μm). Runoff monitoring and chemical analysis data were also used to validate a runoff model for particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that was originally developed to explain the behaviour of SS in the same area. The model, in which roads and roofs were considered separately as impervious surfaces, expressed the SS and particle-bound PAHs runoff behaviour for fine and coarse particles very well, except during and after heavy rainfalls (more than 10mm/h). However, the model could not explain the PAH profiles of runoff particles; the profiles of 12 PAH compounds tracked in this study were almost constant and more similar to those of road dust than roof dust throughout the event. An improved model is developed which explains the runoff behaviour by considering two types of road dust with different mobility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Stable nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate (δ15N–NO3 and δ18O–NO3) have recently been used to identify nitrogen sources in water environments. However, there have been no investigations designed to determine nitrate isotopes in non-point sources in urban areas for evaluating the impact of surface deposits on nitrogen in surface runoff. In this study, we collected rainwater, surface runoff and surface deposits (road dust, roof dust and soil) to evaluate the nitrogen sources in surface runoff using nitrate isotopes. There were no large differences in δ15N–NO3 among rainwater (−0.3‰ to 1.5‰), surface runoff (−2.7‰ to 0.4‰), leachates from road dust (−5.8‰ to 6.2‰) and soil (−11.5‰ to 0.6‰). In contrast, the δ18O–NO3 in surface runoff (28.5–47.9‰) was lower than that in rainwater (62.7–78.6‰), and higher than that in leachates from road dust (6.1–27.6‰) and soil (−1.1‰ to 6.6‰). δ18O–NO3 is a useful indicator for evaluating the NO3–N sources in surface runoff. Using this indicator, NO3–N from road dust was estimated to account for more than half of the NO3–N in surface runoff. This is consistent with a result based on a comparison of their loads per unit surface between rainwater and surface runoff, which also showed that most of the nitrogen in surface runoff was derived from surface deposits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Road dust is considered an important source of sediment contamination; however, there are few studies on the toxicity of road dust on benthic organisms. This study evaluates the toxicity of road dust on the benthic ostracod, Heterocypris incongruens, through a 6-day direct exposure experiment. All six road dust samples collected in heavy traffic areas caused high mortality of the ostracod, whereas the road dust collected in a residential area did not show toxicity to the ostracod. After maintaining the mixture of road dust and water for 24h, the toxicity of the road dust decreased significantly for three of the six samples in the heavy traffic areas, suggesting these road dust samples become less toxic in the surface runoff process. In addition, we conducted the same toxicity test on manipulated road dust using different solid/liquid ratios and holding times to evaluate the change in toxicity caused by the runoff process. Wet road dust that had been separated from a dust–water mixture after a holding time of 1h or 24h did not show lethal toxicity, while the water-soluble fraction of the mixture caused high mortality of the ostracod at a solid/liquid ratio of 1:2 and 1:4. However, after a 7-day holding time of the dust–water mixture, the wet road dust and the water-soluble fraction showed lethal toxicity to the ostracod. These results suggest that toxicants of road dust seemed to exist mainly in water soluble fraction eluted off by rain water; however, particle-bound fraction again showed lethal toxicity after 7days of incubation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Groundwater replenishment by infiltration of road runoff is expected to be a promising option for ensuring a sustainable urban water cycle. In this study, we performed a soil infiltration column test using artificial road runoff equivalent to approximately 11–12 years of rainfall to evaluate the removal of pollutants by using various chemical analyses and bioassay tests. These results indicated that soil infiltration treatment works effectively to remove most of the pollutants such as organic matter (chemical oxygen demand (CODMn) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), P species, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), numerous heavy metals and oestrogenic activities. Bioassay tests, including algal growth inhibition test, Microtox® and mutagen formation potential (MFP) test, also revealed effective removal of toxicities by the soils. However, limited amounts of NO3, Mn, Ni, alkaline earth metals, perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctane sulphonamide (FOSA) were removed by the soils and they possibly reach the groundwater and cause contamination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]