Assessing performance of manufactured treatment devices for the removal of phosphorus from urban stormwater.

Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in urban runoff can be controlled through a variety of nonstructural and structural controls commonly known as best management practices (BMPs). Manufactured treatment devices (MTDs) are structural BMPs that may be used in portions of a site, often when space is limited. MTDs use a variety of technologies to achieve potentially greater treatment efficiency while reducing spatial requirements. However, verifying the performance of MTDs is difficult because of the variability of runoff water quality, the variability in treatment technologies, and the lack of standardized protocols for field testing. Performance testing of MTDs has focused almost exclusively upon removal of sediment; however MTDs are now being applied to the task of removing other constituents of concern, including nutrients such as phosphorus. This paper reviews current methods of assessing treatment performance of MTDs and introduces the Virginia Technology Assessment Protocol (VTAP), a program developed to evaluate the removal of phosphorus by MTDs. The competing goals of various stakeholders were considered when developing the VTAP. A conceptual framework of the tradeoffs considered is presented; these tradeoffs require compromise among the competing interests in order that innovation proceeds and benefits accrue. The key strengths of VTAP are also presented and compared with other existing programs.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in stormwater runoff from sealcoated pavements.

Coal-tar based sealcoat has been identified as a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment. This study measured the long-term release of PAHs in parking lot runoff and found that the presence of coal tar sealant increased the mass of PAHs released in runoff by over an order of magnitude. PAH concentrations in stormwater from two coal tar sealed parking lots and one unsealed parking lot (control) were monitored over a two-year period. The measured flow volume and concentrations were used to calculate a mass of 9.8-10.8 kg total Σ16 PAHs per hectare exported in stormwater runoff from the two sealed parking lots and 0.34 kg total Σ16 PAHs per hectare from the unsealed control. The study also measured sediment PAH concentration changes in a receiving drainage and found that even partial coverage of a drainage area by coal tar sealant resulted in measurable increases in PAH sediment concentrations; PAH concentrations in sediment in a stormwater swale receiving runoff from both sealed and unsealed lots increased near the outfall from less than 4 mg/kg prior to sealing to 95.7 mg/kg after sealing. Compound ratio plots and principal components analysis were examined and were able to clearly differentiate between pre- and postsealant samples.