A Comprehensive Analysis of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Storm Water: Application of Natural Carbon Isotopes to Evaluate the Efficacy of Bioretention Systems

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1236224 (Martin). Bioretention systems are increasingly used as storm water best management practices (BMPs). While successfully employed in many aspects of storm water management, there is as yet no real understanding of whether or how these systems reduce the total range of petroleum hydrocarbons typically found in storm waters. Exceedingly high hydrocarbon (HC) concentrations from sources such as driveway dust and oils from parking lots, highlight the need to find effective methods to remove these carcinogenic and mutagenic pollutants from storm water before they accumulate in downstream water bodies. The proposed study will address this need by using a natural carbon isotope approach to evaluate the effectiveness of bioretention systems in reducing total petroleum HCs found in storm waters in order to improve environmental quality and human health. Past studies of the effectiveness of water treatment technologies have been limited because conventional approaches and analytical methods of analysis for petroleum HCs (i.e., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAH] and/or "total petroleum hydrocarbons" [TPH]) only track selected compounds present in storm water. Because of the ability to differentiate between 'new carbon' from contemporary sources and ?fossil carbon? from petroleum HCs, analysis of natural 14C and 13C can identify the contributions of all petroleum-derived HCs present in storm water. The proposed research is significant because it will: (1) be the first to assess whether a storm water treatment technology - in this case bioretention systems - can reduce total petroleum HCs as opposed to proxy subsets of these harmful compounds as tracked by conventional analyses, and (2) determine if conventional monitoring of subsets of petroleum HCs in storm water is sufficient and can be used as proxies for total HCs, or if more extensive monitoring is warranted. Knowledge gained from this study should improve the design of bioretention systems to maximize water quality improvements, and offer important insights into monitoring approaches for HCs in storm water to protect public and environmental health. This research will be linked to education by the sinvolvent of students who will be mentored by an interdisciplinary group of researchers with expertise in ecological engineering, carbon isotope biogeochemistry, and organic chemistry. Experiential learning will take place as students from the Ecological Engineering student club at Ohio State work with students from a local high school to design and construct a bioretention system on the high school campus. Because the majority of the high school students are minorities, this collaborative arrangement will enhance the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM education. To broadly disseminate results, there will be collaboration with the Central Ohio Rain Garden Initiative to include project findings on their public webpage and in press releases. An additional societal benefit from this research will be design and management guidelines to enhance the reduction of storm water flows and pollutants by affordable and effective bioretention systems.