Releases of micropollutants from building surface materials into rainwater and snowmelt induced runoff

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 330; p. 138730
• Main Authors: Müller, Alexandra, Österlund, Heléne, Nordqvist, Kerstin, Marsalek, Jiri, Viklander, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Centre - Centre for Stormwater Management (DRIZZLE); Centrumbildning - Centrum för dagvattenhantering (DRIZZLE); Copper - analysis; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollutants; Material ageing; Metals; Nonylphenols; Phthalates; Rain; Snowmelt quality; Stainless Steel; Stormwater quality; Urban Water Engineering; VA-teknik; Water Movements; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Zinc - analysis; Nonylphenols; Material ageing; Snowmelt quality; Metals; Phthalates; Stormwater quality
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138730

Building surface materials, exposed to wash-off by rainwater or snowmelt, are recognised as one of the significant urban diffuse pollution sources contributing to the impairment of stormwater quality. The pollution conveyed by roof runoff originates from two potential sources, migration of surface material constituents, or wash-off of pollutants deposited on the surface by atmospheric deposition. This study investigated the releases of metals and several groups of contaminants of emerging concern: alkylphenols, alkylphenol ethoxylates, and phthalates, from commercially available materials, which are commonly used on buildings and structure surfaces in the urban environment. The materials tested included the following: metal sheets of stainless steel, copper, zinc, galvanised steel, corten steel, corrugated and coated steel, coated zinc; and bitumen-based roofing felt and shingles, as well as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from two manufacturers. The stainless steel was considered a control material serving to estimate pollutant contributions deposited on the pilot panels from the surrounding environment. Moreover, this study presents novel data on roof snowmelt induced runoff quality, not reported in the previous literature. The experimental setup consisted of 2-m2 rectangular panels mounted in triplicates of each material and placed in an open-air setting on the campus of Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. Runoff leaving the gently sloping material panels was collected during 11 rain and three snowmelt driven runoff events occurring over a five-year period. The results showed that, in general, the micropollutant concentrations and loads were lower in snowmelt than rain induced runoff, and no decreasing trend was detected in the releases of phthalates or metals during the study period. Moreover, on a yearly basis, copper sheets were estimated to release 0.6 g/m2 Cu to runoff, zinc and galvanised sheets 1.3 and 0.7 g/m2 Zn, respectively, and, PVC sheets were estimated to release up to 78 mg/m2 of diisononyl phthalate (DINP). [Display omitted] •Micropollutant concentrations and loads were lower in snowmelt than rain runoff.•No decreasing trend in releases of phthalates or metals over five years of sampling.•Copper sheets were estimated to release 0.6 g/m2 Cu to runoff on a yearly basis.•Zinc and galvanised sheets were estimated to release 1.3 and 0.7 g/m2 Zn per year.•PVC sheets were estimated to release up to 78 mg/m2 DINP on a yearly basis.