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Stormwater Management and the Environmental Impact of Building Materials

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 13943

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Michael Burkhardt

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Guest Editor

Institute of Environmental and Process Engineering (UMTEC), OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, Oberseestrasse 10 8640 Rapperswil, Switzerland
Interests: source-control measures; leaching of construction materials; decentralized pollutants removal; stormwater management; wastewater treatment; membrane technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable environmentally sound construction and integrated stormwater management are the major trends of the future in urban areas. The aims are to make buildings more environmentally friendly and to close urban water cycles. Long-lasting buildings typically perform best in the sense of sustainability. Water-sensitive infrastructures reduce runoff, foster infiltration and separately discharge stormwater into waterbodies.

Up to now, the influence of buildings on the quantity and quality of runoff seems to be of minor importance compared to questions of energy efficiency, although data on water quality have demonstrated that numerous pollutants enter water bodies. Substances such as biocides, anti-rooting agents, plasticisers, curing agents or flame retardants, have been detected. For this reason, diffuse pollutant by heavy metals, organic pollutants and particulate matter are of increasing concern. Building activities are sustainable only if they do not cause adverse environmental impacts during their service life.

In order to better understand the build environment, it is necessary, for example, to understand the release mechanisms, emission patterns, and assess the environmental impact over time. Laboratory and field studies can contribute to a deeper understanding. Knowledge of rain-driven occurrence in aquatic systems allows the development of source-oriented or decentralised downstream measures. Effective solutions need the interdisciplinary collaboration with manufacturers, architects and engineers.

In the intended special issue, research are to be presented dealing with the release of substances from building materials, the interaction between buildings and the aquatic environment, stormwater management, and pathways of input. The topics range from building products, best practice, treatment concepts, monitoring, modelling, environmental risk assessments to concepts of labeling water-relevant emissions. All contributions are welcome to foster future cities more sustainable and reduce aquatic impact.

Prof. Dr. Michael Burkhardt
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Water wise city
Diffuse pollution
Substance release
Construction products
Stormwater treatment
Reduction measures
Source control
Environmental Monitoring
Aquatic Risk
Modelling
Emission Scenarios

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamization of Urban Runoff Pollution and Quantity

by Sören Hornig, Katrin Bauerfeld and Maike Beier

Water 2022, 14(3), 418; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14030418 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2245

Abstract

At present, the annual loads from long-term series simulations are mostly used for the evaluation of rainwater management and treatment measures although the relevance of the temporal distribution of both pollution and quantity has a recognizable influence on the performance of the treatment. With the idea of dynamizing the simulation output values in relation to (i) single rainfall events, (ii) specific catchment characteristics, and (iii) the duration of the dry period between two rainfall events measurement devices and scenario studies were established in a joint research project in Lower Saxony. First measurement results of surface runoff qualities of an urban sub-catchment in Braunschweig/Germany are presented in a high temporal definition for several pollution parameters. A correlation analysis was performed identifying additional explanatory parameters that have an influence on the first flush effect, such as rainfall characteristics or antecedent dry period. First calculations of the possible reduction in the decentralized storm water treatment by disconnecting the first flush showed values of 42–65%, depending on the pollution parameters. The comparative evaluation of the data with different statistical methods shows that the uncertainties in the calculation of rainwater pollution, or the duration of the first flush, are still very high and do not yet allow researchers to derive a pollution forecast for, e.g., a throttle control solely from the recording of the rain and area characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management and the Environmental Impact of Building Materials)

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16 pages, 5093 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Emissions from Building Materials—A Threat to the Environment?

by Daniel Wicke, Roberto Tatis-Muvdi, Pascale Rouault, Patricia Zerball-van Baar, Uwe Dünnbier, Mirko Rohr and Michael Burkhardt

Water 2022, 14(3), 303; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14030303 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2533

Abstract

A large variety of substances are used in building materials to improve their properties. In recent years, attention to organic additives used, for example, in renders, façade paints or roof sealing sheets has increased as these compounds have been detected in urban stormwater runoff and surface waters. In this paper, we show the extent of emissions induced by rain events in two study sites in Berlin. For this purpose, stormwater runoff from roofs, façades, and in storm sewers was sampled and analysed over a period of 1.5 years in two residential catchments. Results show that, in particular, the biocides diuron and terbutryn from façades, the root protection agents mecoprop and MCPA in bituminous sheeting, and zinc from roofs and façades reach concentrations in the stormwater sewer that exceed limit values for surface waters. Additionally, transformation products of the biocides were also detected. However, many other analysed substances were below the quantification limit or inconspicuous in their concentration levels. The emissions, modelled with the software COMLEAM, demonstrate that in urban areas the limit values in smaller surface waters are exceeded during wet weather. Furthermore, the orientation of the buildings to wind-driven rain is essential for the emitted load from façades. The calculated mass balances of both catchments show that a major portion of all substances remains on-site and infiltrates diffusely or in swales, while the remaining portion is discharged to stormwater sewers. For example, in one of the two study sites, <5% of diuron emissions are discharged to surface waters. Infiltration, in particular, is therefore a crucial pathway of pollution for soil and groundwater. Measures for source control are proposed to mitigate the leaching of environmentally relevant substances from construction materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management and the Environmental Impact of Building Materials)

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19 pages, 23963 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Impact of Construction Products on Aquatic Systems—Principles of an Integrated Source–Path–Target Concept

by Ute Schoknecht, Olaf Tietje, Nicole Borho, Michael Burkhardt, Mirko Rohr, Anya Vollpracht and Lia Weiler

Water 2022, 14(2), 228; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14020228 - 13 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1825

Abstract

Buildings exposed to water can release undesirable substances which, once transported to environmental compartments, may cause unwanted effects. These exposure pathways need to be investigated and included in risk assessments to safeguard water quality and promote the sustainability of construction materials. The applied materials, exposure conditions, distribution routes and resilience of receiving compartments vary considerably. This demonstrates the need for a consistent concept that integrates knowledge of emission sources, leaching processes, transport pathways, and effects on targets. Such a consistent concept can serve as the basis for environmental risk assessment for several scenarios using experimentally determined emissions. Typically, a source–path–target concept integrates data from standardized leaching tests and models to describe leaching processes, the distribution of substances in the environment and the occurrence of substances at different points of compliance. This article presents an integrated concept for assessing the environmental impact of construction products on aquatic systems and unravels currently existing gaps and necessary actions. This manuscript outlines a source–path–target concept applicable to a large variety of construction products. It is intended to highlight key elements of a holistic evaluation concept that could assist authorities in developing procedures for environmental risk assessments and mitigation measures and identifying knowledge gaps. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management and the Environmental Impact of Building Materials)

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16 pages, 2010 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Leaching and Transformation of Film Preservatives in Paints Induced by Combined Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation and Water Contact under Controlled Laboratory Conditions

by Ute Schoknecht, Helena Mathies and Jan Lisec

Water 2021, 13(17), 2390; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13172390 - 30 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2385

Abstract

Stormwater from urban areas can transport biocidally active substances and related transformation products from buildings into the environment. The occurrence of these substances in urban runoff depends on the availability of water, and on ultraviolet radiation exposure that causes photolytic reactions. In a systematic laboratory study, painted test specimens were exposed to either ultraviolet radiation, water contact, or a combination of both. Leaching of the biocidally active substances carbendazim, diuron, octylisothiazolinone, terbutryn, and selected transformation products of terbutryn and diuron were observed under various exposure conditions. Remaining concentrations of these substances in the paint were quantified. It was demonstrated that the distribution of active substances and transformation products in eluates and in the coatings themselves differs with exposure conditions. Strategies for environmental monitoring of biocide emissions need to consider the most relevant transformation products. However, environmental concentrations of biocidally active substances and transformation products depend on earlier exposure conditions. As a consequence, monitoring data cannot describe emission processes and predict expected leaching of biocidally active substances from buildings if the data are collected only occasionally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management and the Environmental Impact of Building Materials)

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Review

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19 pages, 715 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Copper and Zinc as Roofing Materials—A Review on the Occurrence and Mitigation Measures of Runoff Pollution

by Susanne Galster and Brigitte Helmreich

Water 2022, 14(3), 291; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14030291 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3920

Abstract

Stormwater runoff from metal roofs has been a significant subject of discussion, especially when it comes to its treatment and the target concentrations that need to be achieved prior to discharge into the aquatic environment. To raise further awareness on this issue, occurrence, characterization, and also mitigation measures for metal roof runoff were analyzed using the example of copper and zinc roofs. These stormwater runoffs were found to contain metals in significant concentrations, mainly due to the wash-off of corrosion products by precipitation. Factors influencing metal corrosion and runoff concentrations were compiled. As Cu and Zn mainly occur in dissolved and thus bioavailable forms in roof runoff, harmful effects on the environment were detected. Therefore, adequate treatment of the runoff before discharge to groundwater or surface water is necessary to protect the aquatic environment. Vegetated infiltration swales as an sustainable urban drainage system enable a reduction in pollution loads. However, especially in densely built-up urban areas, stormwater quality improvement devices (SQIDs) offer an attractive alternative for pre-treating metal roof runoff, as they are mostly located underground. There is not yet a uniform legal approval system for SQIDs in Germany, but the German state of Bavaria has approved four types of SQIDs according to its own developed test criteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management and the Environmental Impact of Building Materials)

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