The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and sediments of seven wet detention ponds receiving urban stormwater were investigated. The ponds comprised traditional wet detention ponds with a permanent wet volume and a storage volume as well as ponds that were expanded with sand filters and other means to improve the removal of micropollutants. The concentrations of ∑PAH in the sediments varied between 6 ± 5 and 2,222 ± 603 ng g−1 dry weight (mean ± standard deviation), and were highest in the ponds with lower pond volume per catchment area and did not clearly reflect different activities in the catchments. In general, the concentrations of PAHs in the sediments decreased from inlet to outlet, especially in the systems with good conditions for sedimentation such as systems with flow perpendicular sand dikes and extensive submerged vegetation. High molecular weight PAHs were predominant in the sediments indicating the pyrogenic origin of the PAHs. There was no correlation between PAH species concentrations in water or sediments and their hydrophobicity (log Kow). PAH concentrations in water fluctuated in response to intensity and frequency of rain events, whereas concentrations in the sediments integrated the pollutant load over time. Pond systems expanded with sand filters and other technologies to enhance removal of micropollutants consistently had concentrations of PAHs in the effluents below the detection level.
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Research Article|
August 01 2011
Elimination and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban stormwater wet detention ponds
Darja Istenič;
1LIMNOS Company for Applied Ecology, Podlimbarskega 31, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
E-mail: darja@limnos.si
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Carlos A. Arias;
Carlos A. Arias
2Department of Biological Sciences, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Víctor Matamoros;
Víctor Matamoros
3Department of Chemistry, University of Girona, Campus Montilivi, Girona 17071, Spain
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Jess Vollertsen;
Jess Vollertsen
4Section of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, Sohngaardsholmsvej 57, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
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Hans Brix
Hans Brix
2Department of Biological Sciences, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Water Sci Technol (2011) 64 (4): 818–825.
Article history
Received:
November 07 2010
Accepted:
January 14 2011
Citation
Darja Istenič, Carlos A. Arias, Víctor Matamoros, Jess Vollertsen, Hans Brix; Elimination and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban stormwater wet detention ponds. Water Sci Technol 1 August 2011; 64 (4): 818–825. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2011.525
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