Characterizing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon build-up processes on urban road surfaces

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Hydrology
• Pollution Modeling

Background:

• Accurate prediction models are crucial for understanding pollutant accumulation on urban road surfaces.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are significant urban contaminants.
• Road deposited sediments (RDS) play a key role in pollutant transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop empirical models for predicting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) buildup on urban road surfaces.
• To investigate the influence of land use on PAH accumulation processes.
• To identify key factors affecting PAH buildup and road deposited sediment (RDS) properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized successive samplings of road deposited sediments (RDS) for data collection.
• Applied saturation functions, commonly used in the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM), for mathematical modeling.
• Conducted multivariate and temporal-based analyses to assess influencing factors.

Main Results:

• Achieved accurate fitting results for PAH buildup models across three typical urban land use types.
• Observed significant variability in PAH saturation values and buildup rates among different land use types.
• Demonstrated that RDS quantity and properties significantly influence PAH accumulation.

Conclusions:

• The developed empirical models are applicable for predicting PAH buildup on urban roads with acceptable accuracy.
• Pollution sources, traffic, road conditions, and sweeping frequency collectively impact RDS buildup and properties, leading to variations in PAH accumulation.
• Understanding these factors is essential for effective urban pollution management and mitigation strategies.