Abstract
Urban water managers need to estimate the potential removal of organic micropollutants (MP) in stormwater
treatment systems to support MP pollution control strategies. This study documents how the potential
removal of organic MP in stormwater treatment systems can be quantified by using multimedia models. The
fate of four different MP in a stormwater retention pond was simulated by applying two steady-state
multimedia fate models (EPI Suite and SimpleBox) commonly applied in chemical risk assessment and a
dynamic multimedia fate model (Stormwater Treatment Unit Model for Micro Pollutants — STUMP). The four
simulated organic stormwater MP (iodopropynyl butylcarbamate — IPBC, benzene, glyphosate and pyrene)
were selected according to their different urban sources and environmental fate. This ensures that the results
can be extended to other relevant stormwater pollutants. All three models use substance inherent properties
to calculate MP fate but differ in their ability to represent the small physical scale and high temporal variability
of stormwater treatment systems. Therefore the three models generate different results. A Global Sensitivity
Analysis (GSA) highlighted that settling/resuspension of particulate matter was themost sensitive process for
the dynamic model. The uncertainty of the estimated MP fluxes can be reduced by calibrating the dynamic
model against total suspended solids data. This reduction in uncertainty was more significant for the
substances with strong tendency to sorb, i.e. glyphosate and pyrene and less significant for substances with a
smaller tendency to sorb, i.e. IPBC and benzene. The results provide support to the elaboration of MP pollution
control strategies by limiting the need for extensive and complex monitoring campaigns targeting the wide
range of specific organic MP found in stormwater runoff.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Science of the Total Environment |
Volume | 409 |
Issue number | 13 |
Pages (from-to) | 2597-2606 |
ISSN | 0048-9697 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- Model calibration
- Organic micropollutants
- Multimedia modelling
- Stormwater treatment
- Stormwater
- Dynamic modelling