Hydrologic influence on stormwater pollution at two urban monitoring sites

Abstract

The pollutant transport process operated by stormwater runoff on urban paved surfaces and the relationship between the parameters of the wash-off function and the controlling hydrologic variables are investigated in the present work. Data collected during two monitoring campaigns carried out at the plot scale within a residential area and an auto dismantler site are used to this aim. The observed runoff events are classified into different mass delivery processes and the occurrence of the first flush phenomenon is also investigated. The maximum flow discharge obtained as the average value over the time of concentration of the drainage network is proposed as the controlling factor for the total mass of pollutant that is made available for wash-off during each runoff event.

Keywords:

• Stormwater
• Pollution
• First flush
• Urban hydrology

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Environmental Protection Agency of the Liguria Region (ARPAL) as well as Mrs Claudia Lasagna and the staff of AMGA SpA Chemical Laboratory for performing the chemical analyses on the collected samples. The authors would like to acknowledge partial funding of this research by the Province of Genoa and the Liguria Region authorities.