Ashantha Goonetilleke

This book presents a detailed analysis in relation to human health risk assessment of the main toxic chemical pollutants in urban stormwater generated from urban traffic and land use activities. The knowledge presented in this book was derived based on comprehensive experimental investigations including field sampling, laboratory testing, mathematical modelling, spatial analysis and multivariate and univariate statistical data analyses. The key highlights of the book include the quantitative assessment of the human health risk posed by key toxic chemical pollutants in urban stormwater and the development of linkages between risk and traffic and land use. Additionally, a suite of mathematical equations are presented to predict human health risk based on traffic and land use characteristics through mathematical modelling. These outcomes can significantly assist in effective stormwater risk management under changing traffic and land use in the urban environment. The knowledge presented is of particular interest to readers such as stormwater treatment design specialists, decision-makers and urban planners since these outcomes provide practical suggestions and recommendations for effective urban stormwater treatment design.

This book presents comprehensive knowledge regarding the spatial and temporal distributions, influential factors, interactions with coexisting contaminants, migration behavior, and environmental risk posed by microplastics (MPs) in urban waterways. It provides a novel theoretical approach for the combined risks from MPs and coexisting contaminants, and advanced three-dimensional modeling techniques for different MPs’ dispersal and transport behaviors in urban waterways. Additionally, this book presents a scientifically robust investigation on the correlations between various influential factors and heterogeneity in relation to MP presence in river systems. The new knowledge presented would be of particular interest to readers such as urban water management professionals, urban plastic waste regulators, decision-makers, urban planners, and water environment quality model developers, as it provides practical solutions and recommendations for plastic-polluted river quality improvement from a risk management perspective.

This book discusses the physicochemical changes (transformations) that metals deposited on urban road surfaces undergo during dry weather periods, in order to provide insights into their potential impacts on stormwater quality. Based on extensive field experiments, and laboratory and data analyses, it examines transformation characteristics of metals with respect to the particle size of road dust, antecedent dry days and land uses. Further, it proposes a new risk-assessment methodology, improving the original human health-risk indices based on the transformation characteristics and potential bioavailability of metals in order to evaluate the risks posed by metals in stormwater. This book is of interest to researchers and decision-makers developing appropriate pollution mitigation measures to enhance the quality of stormwater, targeting the effective reuse of stormwater in urban areas.

This book presents new findings on intrinsic variability in pollutant build-up and wash-off processes by identifying the characteristics of underlying process mechanisms, based on the behaviour of various-sized particles. The correlation between build-up and wash-off processes is clearly defined using heavy metal pollutants as a case study. The outcome of this study is an approach developed to quantitatively assess process uncertainty, which makes it possible to mathematically incorporate the characteristics of variability in build-up and wash-off processes into stormwater quality models. In addition, the approach can be used to quantify process uncertainty as an integral aspect of stormwater quality predictions using common uncertainty analysis techniques. The information produced using enhanced modelling tools will promote more informed decision-making, and thereby help to improve urban stormwater quality.

This book presents a detailed analysis in relation to pollutant processes and transport pathways encompassing atmospheric pollutants, atmospheric deposition and build-up on road surfaces of traffic generated key pollutants. The research study undertaken by the authors created extensive knowledge relating to the relevant processes and establishing their relationships as a chain of processes. The information presented in this book was derived based on comprehensive experimental investigations including field sampling, laboratory testing, mathematical modelling and multivariate and univariate statistical data analyses. The knowledge presented will be of particular interest to readers such as stormwater treatment design specialists, decision-makers and urban planners since these outcomes provide practical suggestions and recommendations to effective urban stormwater treatment design.

This book identifies the key hydrologic and hydraulic factors which influence the performance of stormwater quality treatment systems such as constructed wetlands and bioretention basins. Mathematical relationships derived using conceptual models underpinned by fundamental hydraulic theory are presented to predict treatment performance. The key highlights of the book will include the identification of the linkages between influential hydrologic and hydraulic factors for constructed wetlands and bioretention basins to support more accurate prediction of treatment performance and effective design of these types of stormwater treatment systems. Furthermore, this book will showcase an innovative approach for using conceptual models to analyze stormwater treatment system performance.

The key highlights of the book include an innovative rainfall classification methodology based on stormwater quality to support the planning and design of stormwater treatment systems. Additionally, this book provides a practical approach to effective stormwater treatment design and development of a methodology for rainfall selection to optimize stormwater treatment based on both its quality and quantity. The case study presented in this book evaluates how pollutant buildup on urban surfaces and stormwater runoff quality varies with a range of catchment characteristics based on different rainfall types. The information presented will be of particular interest to practitioners such as stormwater-treatment designers, urban planners and hydrologic and stormwater-quality model developers since the outcomes presented provide practical approaches to and recommendations for urban stormwater-quality improvement. Readers will benefit from a state-of-the-art critical review of literature on urban stormwater quality, an in-depth discussion on stormwater-quality processes providing guidance for engineering practice such as stormwater treatment design and model development, a comprehensive overview on the application of multivariate data analysis techniques and a paradigm of the integrated use of commercial models and mathematical equations to undertake a comprehensive, urban stormwater-quality investigation.

This multi-disciplinary book provides practical solutions for safeguarding the sustainability of the urban water environment. Firstly, the importance of the urban water environment is highlighted and the major problems urban water bodies face and strategies to safeguard the water environment are explored. Secondly, the diversity of pollutants entering the water environment through stormwater runoff are discussed and modeling approaches for factoring in climate change and future urban and transport scenarios are proposed. Thirdly, by linking the concepts of sustainable urban ecosystems and sustainable urban and transport development, capabilities of two urban sustainability assessment models are demonstrated. To achieve sustainability of the urban water environment and future viability of treatment strategies, a framework that supports their adaptation to future challenges is required. A conceptual framework which involves a decision making cycle integrating best management practices and best planning practices that can be adopted to ensure future adaptation is also presented. Taking a holistic approach and with practical applications for modeling and predictions, Sustainable Urban Water Environment will strongly appeal to postgraduate students, practitioners and researchers in environmental science, environmental policy and urban transport planning. Contents: Preface Foreword Part I: Risks and Challenges 1. Spreading Urbanisation and the Water Environment 2. Changing Climate and the Water Environment 3. Sustaining Urban Water Environments Part II: Impacts and Predictions 4. Measuring Urban Water Pollutants 5. Source Contribution of Pollutants 6. Modelling Water Pollutant Processes Part III: Opportunities and Directions 7. Determining Urban Sustainability Performance 8. Assessing Sustainability of Urban Ecosystems 9. Achieving Urban Sustainability and Implications for the Urban Water Environment 10. Conclusion: Moving Towards Sustainable Water Futures References Index