Impacts of Urbanization on Stormwater Pollutant Loadings and River Water Quality

城市化对雨水污染物负荷和河流水质的影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04825
• 负责人: Zhang, Wenming
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=717426
• 关键词: Impacts; Urbanization; Stormwater; Pollutant; Loadings

Stormwater/snowmelt runoff flushes anthropogenic and natural pollutants accumulated on roads and other urban surfaces into storm sewers and then into receiving water bodies, posing significant threats to the water quality and ecosystem. This is particularly true for municipalities in Canada and the northern US where the large amounts of road de-icing salts/sands used in winter can potentially have a shock effect during spring runoff to the receiving water bodies, with chloride concentration reported as high as 600% over the Canadian acute exposure guideline. In the context of fast urbanization and climate change, such threats will be further intensified and complicated. The long-term goals of this program are to reveal and quantify the coupled impacts of urbanization and climate change to receiving water bodies and to research innovative ways to enhance the sustainability and resiliency of both cities and rivers/lakes to minimize such impacts. In the next 5 years, I will focus on urbanization impact to stormwater pollutant loadings and receiving river water quality using Edmonton and the North Saskatchewan River as an example. Two studies are proposed in the program. Aim 1 will research the less-reported temporospatial variability of stormwater loadings of common yet important pollutants (nutrients, sediments, salts), the un-reported relation of urbanization level with the loadings, and the overlooked potential shock effect of the loadings to receiving rivers during spring runoff. Aim 2 will quantify, for the first time, the loading of an emerging pollutant (microplastics, MPs) in urban stormwater, and investigate the unexplored hydrodynamic impact to MP transport and fate in rivers. Field monitoring is proposed at selected storm outfalls for Aim 1 and MP loading in Aim 2. Lab experiments will be conducted for Aim 2 on MP transport and re-suspension in a flume under different hydrodynamic conditions and with different MP properties (materials/densities, sizes and shapes). An innovative measurement technique for MP velocity and concentration will be developed based on particle image velocimetry, particle tracking velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence. Numerical modeling will be conducted for pollutant loadings and river water quality in Aim 1, and MP transport and re-suspension in Aim 2. All the major devices/software listed in the proposal are available for use in the Water Resources Group at the UofA. The proposed research will generate innovative, original knowledge on urban stormwater pollutant loadings and transport and fate of MPs in water. The research results will be also useful in Canada's three levels of governments in making/adjusting numerous plans/policies on urban development and maximum total pollutant loadings to rivers/lakes, as well as on de-icing salts/sands and stormwater management. The research will train 7 HQP in areas that are highly desirable by consulting firms, utility companies and government sectors.

雨水/融雪径流将积聚在道路和其他城市表面的人为和自然污染物冲入雨水下水道，然后进入接收水体，对水质和生态系统构成重大威胁。对于加拿大和美国北部的市政当局来说尤其如此，在那里，冬季使用的大量道路除冰盐/砂可能会在春季径流到接收水体时产生冲击效应，据报道氯化物浓度高达加拿大急性暴露指南的600%。在快速城市化和气候变化的背景下，这些威胁将进一步加剧和复杂化。