Toxic Runoff from City Streets Threatens Urban Water Quality
Urban pavement runoff is a major source of pollution in city water. A study looked at the dirt on roads and how it affects pollution levels. They found that smaller particles can trap heavy metals like zinc and lead, but not as much organic pollutants. The concentration of pollutants changes over time during rainfall, with suspended solids decreasing steadily and heavy metals peaking after 30 minutes. Treating heavy metals and solids is most effective in the first half-hour of runoff. Biochemical oxygen demand and petroleum hydrocarbons are mostly influenced by rainfall intensity. This research can help improve how we clean up polluted water from roads.