Contamination of Urban Stormwater Pond Sediments: A Study of 259 Legacy and Contemporary Organic Substances

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 55; no. 5; pp. 3009 - 3020
• Main Authors: Flanagan, Kelsey, Blecken, Godecke-Tobias, Österlund, Heléne, Nordqvist, Kerstin, Viklander, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 02.03.2021
• Subjects: Aldehydes; Aliphatic hydrocarbons; Alkylphenols; Centre - Centre for Stormwater Management (DRIZZLE); Centrumbildning - Centrum för dagvattenhantering (DRIZZLE); Cities; Contaminants; Contaminants in Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments; Contaminated sediments; Contamination; Dilution; Environmental Monitoring; Ethers; Geologic Sediments; Hydrocarbons; Municipalities; Organic matter; Organic soils; Particulate matter; PCB; Pollutants; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Ponds; Runoff; Sandy soils; Sediment pollution; Sedimentation; Sedimentation & deposition; Sediments; Soil contamination; Soil erosion; Soils; Stormwater; Stormwater quality; Toxicity; Urban environments; Urban runoff; Urban Water Engineering; VA-teknik; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water quality; Wear particles; Cities
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07782

Stormwater ponds improve water quality by facilitating the sedimentation of particles and particulate contaminants from urban runoff. Over time, this function entails the accumulation of contaminated sediments, which must be removed periodically to maintain a pond’s hydraulic and treatment capacity. In this study, sediments from 17 stormwater sedimentation facilities from four Swedish municipalities were analyzed for 259 organic substances likely to be found in the urban environment. A total of 92 substances were detected in at least one sample, while as many as 52 substances were detected in a single sample. A typical profile of urban contamination was identified, including polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organotins, aliphatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, aldehydes, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, perfluorinated substances, and alkylphenols. However, levels of contamination varied greatly between ponds, influenced heavily by the dilution of urban pollutants and wear particles from other sources of particles such as eroded soil, sand, or natural organic matter. For 22 of 32 samples, the observed concentrations of at least one organic substance exceeded the regulatory threshold values derived from toxicity data for both sediment and soil.