| Title: | Highway runoff quality in Ireland |
| Author(s): | Berhanu Desta M; Bruen M; Higgins N; Johnston P; |
| Address: | "University College Dublin, School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering, Centre for Water Resources Research, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland. mesfin.desta@gmail.com" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1464-0325 (Print) 1464-0325 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Highway runoff has been identified as a significant source of contaminants that impact on the receiving aquatic environment. Several studies have been completed documenting the characteristics of highway runoff and its implication to the receiving water in the UK and elsewhere. However, very little information is available for Ireland. The objective of this study was to determine the quality of highway runoff from major Irish roads under the current road drainage design and maintenance practice. Four sites were selected from the M4 and the M7 motorways outside Dublin. Automatic samplers and continuous monitoring devices were deployed to sample and monitor the runoff quality and quantity. More than 42 storm events were sampled and analysed for the heavy metals Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, 16 US EPA specified PAHs, volatile organic compounds including MTBE, and a number of conventional pollutants. All samples were analysed based on the Standard Methods. Significant quantities of solids and heavy metals were detected at all sites. PAHs were not detected very often, but when detected the values were different from quantities observed in UK highways. The heavy metal concentrations were strongly related to the total suspended solids concentrations, which has a useful implication for runoff management strategies. No strong relationship was discovered between pollutant concentrations and event characteristics such as rainfall intensity, antecedent dry days (ADD), or rainfall depth (volume). This study has demonstrated that runoff from Irish motorways was not any cleaner than in the UK although the traffic volume at the monitored sites was relatively smaller. This calls for a site specific investigation of highway runoff quality before adopting a given management strategy" |
| Keywords: | "Ireland Metals, Heavy/*analysis Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/*analysis *Water Movements Water Pollutants, Chemical/*analysis;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBerhanu Desta, Mesfin Bruen, Michael Higgins, Neil Johnston, Paul eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2007/04/06 J Environ Monit. 2007 Apr; 9(4):366-71. doi: 10.1039/b702327h. Epub 2007 Mar 8" |
