Compost Biofilters for Protection of Environmentally Sensitive Areas Receiving Roadway Runoff

摘要: Runoff from roads is well recognized as containing a host of heavy metals that may degrade water quality. This awareness has driven focus towards management strategies intended to attenuate the transport nearby bodies. Composted biomass been shown have ability retain common roadway runoff pollutants, leading interest in its use filter material for protection environmentally sensitive areas. Compost biofilters can be constructed tubular geometry intercept surface flow and amended with polymers targeted removal specific pollutants. Addressing need validation this concept under field conditions, commercially available three different polymeric amendments were studied assess their efficiency removing total suspended solids. The filters each contained mixture municipal compost installed series treatment train adjacent busy section highway 401 southern Ontario, Canada. Untreated inflow concentrations chromium, cadmium, copper lead exceeded Ontario Provincial Water Quality Objectives (PWQO). biofilter reduced chromium below PWQO, while remained above. Results demonstrate efficiencies ranging 15.5% (nickel) 93.6% (chromium). low nickel attributed part concentration. Each consecutive also TSS concentrations, an event mean 50% whole.