A field monitoring program was begun in 1991 to test the ability of grassed swales to remove pollutants from highway runoff. The two swales monitored had different slopes, traffic volumes, and vegetation heights, all of which can affect pollutant removal. One had a check dam, which proved to significantly influence pollutant removal. Also, the pollutant-removal ability of a short buffer strip was examined. Pollutants monitored included total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, and total zinc. Manual and automatic sampling techniques were used to monitor runoff. The results suggest that properly designed short buffer strips and swales with check dams can remove pollutants from highway runoff.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
YuS. L., BarnesS. L., and GerdeV. W.Test of Best Management Practices for Controlling Highway Runoff. VTRC Report 93-R16, Virginia Transportation Research Council, Charlottesville, 1993.
2.
YuS. L., KaighnR. J.Jr., and LiaoS. L.Test of Best Management Practices for Controlling Highway Runoff: Phase II. VTRC Report 94-R21, Virginia Transportation Research Council, Charlottesville, 1994.
3.
YuS. L., and KaighnR. J.Jr.The Control of Pollution in Highway Runoff Through Biofiltration, Volume II: Testing of Roadside Vegetation. VTRC Report 95-R29, Virginia Transportation Research Council, Charlottesville, 1995.
4.
WangT. S., SpyridakisD. E., MarB. W., and HornerR. R.Transport, Deposition and Control of Heavy Metals in Highway Runoff. Report 10, University of Washington Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Seattle, 1981.
5.
YousefY. A., WanielistaM. P., HarperH. H., PearceD. B., and TolbertR. D.Removal of Highway Contaminants by Roadside Swales. Report FL-ER-30-85, Florida Department of Transportation, Tallahassee, 1985.
6.
OaklandP.An evaluation of urban storm water pollutant removal through grassed swale treatment. In 1983 International Symposium on Urban Hydrology, Hydraulics and Sediment ControlUniversity of Kentucky, Lexington, 1983, pp. 183–185.
7.
SchuelerT. R., KrumbleP. A., and HeratyM. A.A Current Assessment of Urban Best Management Practices, Techniques for Reducing Non-Point Source Pollution in the Coastal Zone, Review Draft.Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Washington, D.C., 1991.
8.
FinleyS. M., and YoungG. K.Grassy Swales to Control Highway Water Quality Runoff. In Transportation Research Record 1420, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1993.
9.
Northern Virginia BMP Handbook.Northern Virginia Planning District Commission, Fairfax, 1992.
10.
BarretM. E., ZuberR. D., CollinsE. R., MalinaJ. F., CharbeneauR. J., and WardG. H.A Review and Evaluation of Literature Pertaining to the Quantity and Control of Pollution from Highway Runoff and Construction. Report 1943-1, Center for Transportation Research, Austin, Tex., 1993.
11.
LorantF. I.Effects of Piped Median vs. Open Ditch Drainage on Stormwater Quality. Report MAT-92-04, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Canada, 1993.
12.
ChaubeyI., EdwardsD. R., DanielT. C., MooreP. A., and NicholsD. J.Effectiveness of Vegetative Filter Strips in Retaining Surface-Applied Swine Manure Constituents. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Vol. 37, No. 3, 1994, pp. 845–850.
13.
DillahaT. A., ReneauR. B., MostaghimiS., and LeeD.Vegetative Filter Strips for Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Control. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Vol. 32, No. 2, 1989, pp. 513–519.
14.
MeyerL. D., DabneyS. M., and HarmonW. C.Sediment-Trapping Effectiveness of Stiff-Grass Hedges. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Vol. 38, No. 3, 1995, pp. 809–815.
15.
HawkinsG. L., HillD. T., RochesterE. W., and WoodC. W.Evaluation of Overland Flow Treatment for Swine Lagoon Effluent. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Vol. 38, No. 2, 1995, pp. 397–402.
16.
Sources and Migration of Highway Runoff Pollutants. Vol. 1: Executive Summary. Report FHWA/RD-84/057, FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C., 1984.
17.
BellW.Intermittent Sand Filter BMPs for Stormwater Quality. Presented at the Engineers and Surveyors Institute's Stormwater Management Symposium, September 8, 1994.
18.
TollnerE. W., BarfieldB. J., and HayesJ. C.Sediomentology of Erect Vegetal Filters. Journal of the Hydraulics Division, Vol. 108, ASCE, 1982, pp. 1518–1531.
