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Assessment of Distinctive Road Runoff Quality in Coastal Areas, Based on a Monitoring Case Study

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Abstract

High levels of marine salt deposition present in coastal areas have a relevant effect on road runoff characteristics. This study assesses this effect with the purpose of identifying the relationships between monitored water quality parameters and intrinsic site variables. To achieve this objective, an extensive monitoring program was conducted on a Portuguese coastal highway. The study included 30 rainfall events, in different weather, traffic, and salt deposition conditions. The evaluations of various water quality parameters were carried out in over 200 samples. In addition, the meteorological, hydrological, and traffic parameters were continuously measured. The salt deposition rates were determined by means of a wet candle device, which is an innovative feature of the monitoring program. The relation between road runoff pollutants and independent variables associated with weather, traffic, and salt deposition conditions was assessed. Significant correlations among pollutants were observed. A high salinity concentration and its influence on the road runoff were confirmed. Furthermore, the concentrations of the most relevant pollutants seemed to be very dependent on some meteorological variables, particularly the duration of the antecedent dry period prior to each rainfall event and the average wind speed.

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Acknowledgments

Part of this study was developed within a project financed by the Portuguese National Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/AMB/64953/2006).

Antunes P. thanks the Portuguese National Foundation for Science and Technology for the Ph.D. grant (SFRH-BD-43638-2008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Higher School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510, Viseu, Portugal

    Pedro Antunes

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Paulo J. Ramísio

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  1. Pedro Antunes
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  2. Paulo J. Ramísio
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Correspondence to Pedro Antunes.

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Antunes, P., Ramísio, P.J. Assessment of Distinctive Road Runoff Quality in Coastal Areas, Based on a Monitoring Case Study. Water Air Soil Pollut 226, 399 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2657-2

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