Treatment of Metals in Highway Runoff Water : Comparison of green infrastructures and filter material for stormwater treatment

Abstract: Highway runoff transport high concentrations of heavy metals. As climate change affect the environment with for example increased storm events, the treatment of road runoff becomes more important. This study aims to evaluate the treatment of highway runoff with constructed wetlands, stormwater ponds, vegetated filterstrips, vegetated swales and filter materials for highways in proximity to nature reserves. The treatment efficiency of constructed wetlands, stormwater ponds, vegetated filterstrips and vegetated swales was examined through a literature study and modelling of the different treatment methods using the StormTac modelling tool. Modelling was done both based on the design of a facility from the literature study and also adapted to a study area along the Södertörn Crosslink. The treatment efficiency of a sand filter as well as four reactive filter materials was determined from field studies on a pilot plant in Gröndal. The results from the study show that the guidelines for stormwater quality from Järfälla municipality can be reached with the treatment of stormwater using filter material. The treatment of heavy metals with constructed wetlands and stormwater ponds is below the guidelines for stormwater quality from Järfälla municipality for some of the studied heavy metals. However, the results from the modelling show a higher treatment efficiency than from the literature study for the majority of the studied metals. Moreover, construed wetlands and stormwater ponds also provide areas for recreation and promotion of biodiversity, which in a nature reserve area should be considered beneficial. A common issue for stormwater treatment with constructed wetlands, stormwater ponds and filter materials are that the required area for filter materials with pre-sedimentation basin, as well as the requested area for constructed wetlands and stormwater ponds, are bigger than the designated area for treatment in the case study.