Particle Size Distribution in Highway Runoff
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 9
Abstract
Particles in highway runoff contain various sorbed pollutants, and many best management practices (BMPs) are selected for particle removal efficiency, which makes particle size distribution a crucial BMP design parameter. Particles between 2 and in diameter were quantified for three rainfall events during the 2002–2003 rainy season at three highway sites in west Los Angeles. Rainfall, runoff flow rate, and a large suite of water quality parameters were also measured. An experimental protocol was developed for bottle cleaning, sample storage, and mixing that provided repeatable results. Particle aggregation occurred which required samples to be analyzed in less than ; the concentration of small particles decreased with a corresponding increase in the concentration of larger particles in stored samples. The particle concentration decreased as the storm progressed and the number of large particles decreased more rapidly than the total number of particles. Particles demonstrated a strong first flush. On average, 40% of the particles were discharged in the first 20% of the runoff volume.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported in part by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The writers are grateful for their continuous support.
References
Ashley, R. M., Wotherspoon, D. J. J., Coghlan, B. P., and McGregor, I. (1992). “The erosion and movement of sediment and associated pollutants in combined sewers.” Water Sci. Technol., 25(8), 101–113.
Barrett, M. E., Irish, L. B., Malina, J. F., and Charbeneau, R. J. (1998). “Characterization of highway runoff in Austin, Texas, area.” J. Environ. Eng., 124(2), 131–137.
Bertrand-Krajewski, J. L., Chebbo, G., and Saget, A. (1998). “Distribution of pollutant mass vs volume in stormwater discharges and the first flush phenomenon.” Water Res., 32(8), 2341–2356.
Characklis, G. W., and Wiesner, M. R. (1997). “Particles, metals, and water quality in runoff from large urban watershed.” J. Environ. Eng., 123(8), 753–759.
Cristina, C., Tramonte, J., and Sansalone, J. J. (2002). “A granulometry-based selection methodology for separation of traffic-generated particles in urban highway snowmelt runoff.” Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 136, 33–53.
Deletic, A. (1998). “The first flush load of urban surface runoff.” Water Res., 32(8), 2462–2470.
Drapper, D., Tomlinson, R., and Williams, P. (2000). “Pollutant concentrations in road runoff: Southeast Queensland case study.” J. Environ. Eng., 126(4), 313–320.
Ellis, J. B., and Revitt, D. M. (1982). “Incidence of heavy metals in street surface sediments: solubility and grain size studies.” Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 17, 87–100.
Furumai, H., Balmer, H., and Boller, M. (2002). “Dynamic behavior of suspended pollutants and particle size distribution in highway runoff.” Water Sci. Technol., 46(11–12), 413–418.
Geiger, W. F. (1984). “Characteristics of combined sewer runoff.” Proc., 3rd, Int. Conf. on Urban Storm Drainage, Göteborg, Sweden, 851–860.
German, J., and Svensson, G. (2002). “Metal content and particle size distribution of street sediments and street sweeping waste.” Water Sci. Technol., 46(6–7), 191–198.
Grant, S. B., Pise, N. R., Reeves, P. R., Matsumoto, M., Wistrom, A., Moussa, L., Bay, S., and Kayhanian, M. (2003). “A review of the contaminants and toxicity associated with particles in stormwater runoff.” Report No. CTSW-RT-03-059, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, Calif.
Gromaire-Mertz, M. C., Garnaud, S., Gonzalez, A., and Chebbo, G. (1999). “Characterization of urban runoff pollution in Paris.” Water Sci. Technol., 39(2), 1–8.
Gupta, K., and Saul, A. J. (1996). “Specific relationships for the first flush load in combined sewer flows.” Water Res., 30(5), 1244–1252.
Hargesheimer, E. E., Lewis, C. M., and Yentsch, C. M. (1992).“Evaluation of particle counting as a measure of treatment plant performance.” American Water Works Association Research Foundation, Denver.
Herrmann, R. (1981). “Transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through a partly urbanized river basin.” Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 16(4), 445–467.
Hewitt, C. N., and Rashed, M. B. (1992). “Removal rates of selected pollutants in the runoff waters from a major rural highway.” Water Res., 26(3), 311–319.
Hoffman, E. J., Latimer, J. S., Hunt, C. D., Mills, G. L., and Quinn, J. G. (1985). “Stormwater runoff from highways.” Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 25(4), 349–364.
Kayhanian, M., Singh, A., Suverkropp, C., and Borroum, S. (2003). “Impact of annual average daily traffic on highway runoff pollutant concentrations.” J. Environ. Eng., 129(11), 975–990.
Kobriger, N. K., and Geinopolos, A. (1984). “Sources and migration of highway runoff pollutants. Research report, Vol. III.” Rep. No. FHWA/RD-84/059 (PB86-227915), United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
Krein, A., and Schorer, M. (2000). “Road runoff pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and its contribution to river sediments.” Water Res., 34(16), 4110–4115.
Lau, S.-L., Ma, J.-S., Kayhanian, M., and Stenstrom, M. K. (2002). “First flush of organics in highway runoff.” Proc., 9th Int. Conf. on Urban Drainage, ASCE, Reston, Va.
Lau, S.-L., and Stenstrom, M. K. (2001). “Metals and PAHs adsorbed to street particles.” Proc., 2nd South Pacific Stormwater Conf., New Zealand Water and Waste Association, Auckland, New Zealand, 122–134.
Laubscher, A. C. J., Wentzel, M. C., Le Roux, J. M. W., and Ekama, G. A. (2001). “Treatment of grain distillation wastewaters in an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) system.” Water SA, 27(4), 433–444.
Legret, M., and Pagotto, C. (1999). “Evaluation of pollutant loadings in the runoff waters from a major rural highway.” Sci. Total Environ., 235, 143–150.
Ma, J.-S., et al. (2002). “First flush phenomena for highways: how it can be meaningfully defined.” Proc., 9th International Conf. on Urban Drainage, ASCE, Reston, Va.
Morquecho, R., and Pitt, R. (2003). “Stormwater heavy metal particulate associations.” Proc., WEFTEC, Water Environment Federation, Los Angeles.
Muschack, W. (1990). “Pollution of street runoff by traffic and local conditions.” Sci. Total Environ., 93, 419–431.
Oliver, B. G., Milne, J. B., and LaBarre, N. (1974). “Chloride and lead in urban snow.” J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 46(4), 766–771.
Ongley, E. D., Bynoe, M. C., and Percival, J. B. (1981). “Physical and geochemical characteristics of suspended solids, Wilton Creek, Ontario.” Can. J. Earth Sci., 18(8), 1365–1379.
Roberts, A. H., Ellis, J. B., and Whalley, W. B. (1988). “Progressive alteration of fine sediments along an urban storm drain.” Water Res., 22(6), 775–781.
Roger, S., Montréjaud-Vignoles, M., Andral, M. C., Herremans, L., and Fortuné, J. P. (1998). “Mineral, physical and chemical analysis of the solid matter carried by motorway runoff water.” Water Res., 32(4), 1119–1125.
Sansalone, J. J., and Buchberger, S. G. (1997a). “Characterization of solid and metal element distributions in urban highway stormwater.” Water Sci. Technol., 36(8–9), 155–160.
Sansalone, J. J., and Buchberger, S. G. (1997b). “Partitioning and first flush of metals in urban roadway storm water.” J. Environ. Eng., 123(2), 134–143.
Sansalone, J. J., Koran, J. M., Smithson, J. A., and Buchberger, S. G. (1998). “Physical characteristics of urban roadway solids transported during rain.” J. Environ. Eng., 124(5), 427–440.
Sansalone, J. J., and Tribouillard, T. (1999). “Variation in characteristics of abraded roadway particles as a function of particle size.” Transportation Research Record, 1690, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 153–163.
Slattery, M. C., and Burt, T. P. (1997). “Particle size characteristics of suspended sediment in hillslope runoff and stream flow.” Earth Surf. Processes Landforms, 22, 705–719.
Sutherland, R. A. (2003). “Lead in grain size fractions of road-deposited sediment.” Environ. Pollut., 121, 229–237.
Thomson, N. R., Mcbean, E. A., Snodgrass, W., and Monstrenko, I. B. (1997). “Highway stormwater runoff quality: development of surrogate parameter relationships.” Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 94, 307–347.
Thornton, R. C., and Saul, A. J. (1987). “Temporal variation of pollutants in two combined sewer systems.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Urban Storm Drainage, Lausanne, Switzerland, 51–52.
Uchimura, K., Nakamura, E., and Fujita, S. (1997). “Characteristics of stormwater runoff and its control in Japan.” Water Sci. Technol., 36(8–9), 141–147.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (1993). “Manual for combined sewer overflow control.” EPA Rep. No. EPA/625/R-93/007, Cincinnati.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 9 • September 2005
Pages: 1267 - 1276
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 14, 2003
Accepted: Feb 3, 2004
Published online: Sep 1, 2005
Published in print: Sep 2005
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.