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Trace Metal Pollutant Load in Urban Runoff from a Southern California Watershed |
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| Authors: | Timothy N. McPherson Steven J. Burian Michael K. Stenstrom H. J. Turin Michael J. Brown I. H. Suffet |
| Affiliation: | 1Technical Staff Member, Systems Engineering and Integration, MS-F607, D-3, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545. E-mail: tmac@lanl.gov 2Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 122 South Central Campus Dr., Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0561. 3Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1593. 4Technical Staff Member, Isotope and Nuclear Chemistry, MS-J534, C-INC, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545. 5Technical Staff Member, Systems Engineering and Integration, MS-F607, D-3, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545. 6Professor, Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Public Health, Univ. of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772. |
| Abstract: | In order to implement efficient and effective management strategies for coastal water quality in Southern California, it is important to consider the relative pollutant contributions from urban dry-weather flow (DWF) and wet-weather flow (WWF). This study uses both historical flow coupled with water quality monitoring data and computer modeling to characterize the annual DWF and WWF discharges from an urban catchment in Los Angeles, Calif. The DWF and WWF pollutant loading of the trace metals copper, lead, nickel, and chromium for 6 water years dating from 1991 to 1996 is predicted. The results indicate that DWF contributes a considerable amount of flow and pollutants. Approximately, 9–25% of the total annual Ballona Creek flow volume is DWF. The simulations indicate DWF accounts for 54, 19, 33, and 44% of the average annual load of total chromium, copper, lead, and nickel, respectively. In the dry season, the simulations indicate DWF accounts for 89, 59, 58, and 90% of the load of total chromium, copper, lead, and nickel, respectively. This research suggests DWF controls may be an important part of pollution mitigation plans for urban stormwater drainage systems in Southern California. |
| Keywords: | Watershed management Nonpoint pollution Urban runoff Stormwater management Water quality California |