Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator

Water quality management of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is still being confronted with identification and assessment. The extent of pollution due to NPS in tropics is not yet affirmed, and the relative influences of its associated sources were not yet totally understood. This study explored the...

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Main Author: Yakubu, Mahadi Lawan
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78160/1/MahadiLawanYakubuPFKA2015.pdf
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spelling my-utm-ep.781602018-07-25T07:57:45Z Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator 2015-07 Yakubu, Mahadi Lawan TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) Water quality management of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is still being confronted with identification and assessment. The extent of pollution due to NPS in tropics is not yet affirmed, and the relative influences of its associated sources were not yet totally understood. This study explored the significance of road as a NPS unit in tropical region of persistent rainfall, and investigated the possible sources of heavy metals in urban areas. To achieve the objectives of this study, the natural rainfall dynamic of the study area was appraised using the flour pellet method. The information was used as a basis for developing a highly efficient Rainfall Simulator (RS) that was used to investigate pollutant washoff process under different rainfall depth and intensities. A total of 30 buildup samples were collected from five chosen roads of varying characteristics, and fractionated into 10 classes of particle sizes each. For quantitative analysis, 60 samples were analysed for dissolved Zn, Fe, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Mn, Al, and Cr concentrations. A multivariate principal component and factor analyses were used to investigate the likely sources of these heavy metals. Three sources were identified, the indigenous, geogenic and scavenge. The natural raindrop sizes were found to vary from less than 1.2 mm to as big as 7.0 mm with median raindrop diameters (D50) of 2.51 mm and a mean of 2.56 mm. These raindrops have an average rain kinetic energy content of 30 J m??2 mm??1. The developed RS can satisfactorily simulate rain intensity similar to natural rainfall, with an average kinetic energy content of 42 J m??2 mm??1 and a D50 between 2.41 and 2.64 mm. An advanced principal component and cluster analysis identified TDS as a surrogate for measuring dissolved metals pollution among eight physicochemical parameters considered, and was therefore used in the modelling of the washoff process. The developed models suggested that the rain intensity plays a more prominent role in the occurrence of first flush, while the rain depth plays a central role in the total washoff event. This research demonstrated that the influence of sediment to retain mass loading did not necessarily translate to higher pollution loading of heavy metals, and the residency of heavy metals in different particle classes cannot be generalised. 2015-07 Thesis http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78160/ http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78160/1/MahadiLawanYakubuPFKA2015.pdf application/pdf en public http://dms.library.utm.my:8080/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:94652 phd doctoral Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Faculty of Civil Engineering Faculty of Civil Engineering
institution Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
collection UTM Institutional Repository
language English
topic TA Engineering (General)
Civil engineering (General)
spellingShingle TA Engineering (General)
Civil engineering (General)
Yakubu, Mahadi Lawan
Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator
description Water quality management of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is still being confronted with identification and assessment. The extent of pollution due to NPS in tropics is not yet affirmed, and the relative influences of its associated sources were not yet totally understood. This study explored the significance of road as a NPS unit in tropical region of persistent rainfall, and investigated the possible sources of heavy metals in urban areas. To achieve the objectives of this study, the natural rainfall dynamic of the study area was appraised using the flour pellet method. The information was used as a basis for developing a highly efficient Rainfall Simulator (RS) that was used to investigate pollutant washoff process under different rainfall depth and intensities. A total of 30 buildup samples were collected from five chosen roads of varying characteristics, and fractionated into 10 classes of particle sizes each. For quantitative analysis, 60 samples were analysed for dissolved Zn, Fe, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Mn, Al, and Cr concentrations. A multivariate principal component and factor analyses were used to investigate the likely sources of these heavy metals. Three sources were identified, the indigenous, geogenic and scavenge. The natural raindrop sizes were found to vary from less than 1.2 mm to as big as 7.0 mm with median raindrop diameters (D50) of 2.51 mm and a mean of 2.56 mm. These raindrops have an average rain kinetic energy content of 30 J m??2 mm??1. The developed RS can satisfactorily simulate rain intensity similar to natural rainfall, with an average kinetic energy content of 42 J m??2 mm??1 and a D50 between 2.41 and 2.64 mm. An advanced principal component and cluster analysis identified TDS as a surrogate for measuring dissolved metals pollution among eight physicochemical parameters considered, and was therefore used in the modelling of the washoff process. The developed models suggested that the rain intensity plays a more prominent role in the occurrence of first flush, while the rain depth plays a central role in the total washoff event. This research demonstrated that the influence of sediment to retain mass loading did not necessarily translate to higher pollution loading of heavy metals, and the residency of heavy metals in different particle classes cannot be generalised.
format Thesis
qualification_name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.)
qualification_level Doctorate
author Yakubu, Mahadi Lawan
author_facet Yakubu, Mahadi Lawan
author_sort Yakubu, Mahadi Lawan
title Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator
title_short Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator
title_full Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator
title_fullStr Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator
title_full_unstemmed Modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator
title_sort modelling of road surface pollution buildup and washoff using rainfall simulator
granting_institution Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Faculty of Civil Engineering
granting_department Faculty of Civil Engineering
publishDate 2015
url http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78160/1/MahadiLawanYakubuPFKA2015.pdf
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