Roof runoff contamination: Establishing material-pollutant relationships and material benchmarking based on...

Because roofs represent a major part of the urban impervious surface, it is hypothesized that roof runoff is an important source of urban stormwater contamination. However, the contribution of different roofing materials to this contamination has only been examined to a limited extent. In this study, a resource and time efficient methodology, which uses some of the principles of a standardized leaching test (CEN/TS16637-2), was developed to identify material-pollutant relationships for sixteen commonly used roofing materials (EPDM, PVC, TPO, EVA, PU and bitumen membranes). Metals were detected in concentrations ranging from several μg/L in the leachate of synthetic materials up to 2.5 mg/L for Zn in the leachate of EPDM materials. Cd and Cr were not detected in any of the leachates. Furthermore, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in most leachates, with phenanthrene and naphthalene being most frequently detected in concentrations up to 4.5 μg/L for naphthalene. Further insights on organic pollutants' leaching from the tested materials were obtained by a non-target GC-MS screening of the leachates. Several commonly used additives such as flame retardants and light stabilizers were detected. Although no information on long-term leaching and material behavior under outdoor conditions could be obtained by the developed methodology, the laboratory test results could be used to benchmark the materials for their potential impact on roof runoff quality by the calculation of material indexes (which summarize the material-pollutant relationships). EPDM and PU roofing materials were identified as the materials having the highest potential to affect roof runoff quality.