scholarly journals Impact of Green Roofs and Vertical Greenery Systems on Surface Runoff Quality

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 2609
Author(s):  
Imane Hachoumi ◽  
Bernhard Pucher ◽  
Elisabetta De Vito-Francesco ◽  
Flora Prenner ◽  
Thomas Ertl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Urban Runoff ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Pollution Source ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Stormwater Treatment ◽  
Materials Used

Green roofs (GRs) and vertical greenery systems (VGSs) can contribute certain pollutants to stormwater runoff, affecting the quality of the receiving waters. The objective of this review paper is to discuss the potential impact of these systems on the quality of urban runoff. In the green building systems section, a series of materials used in greenery systems and their specific application are presented and environmentally relevant substances that could be leached out from these materials are identified as potential pollutants. After the identification of environmentally relevant pollutants that have already been measured in urban runoff and originate from these systems, an assessment of their pathways, fate, and impact in the aquatic environment is performed. Since GRs and VGSs are already considered to be solutions for stormwater quantity and quality management in urban areas, recommendations for mitigating their environmental impact through runoff are needed. It can be concluded that special focus should be placed on measures that target the pollution source, such as optimizing GR and VGS construction practices and materials used, as well as establishing appropriate decentralized stormwater treatment measures. Both of these approaches will help to reduce or even entirely avoid the emission of relevant pollutants into the aquatic environment.

scholarly journals Community Perceptions and Knowledge of Modern Stormwater Treatment Assets

Urban Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Hadi Zamanifard ◽  
Edward A. Morgan ◽  
Wade L. Hadwen
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Urban Runoff ◽  
Community Perceptions ◽  
Stormwater Treatment ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Community Acceptance ◽  
Water Sensitive Urban Design

Modern stormwater treatment assets are a form of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) features that aim to reduce the volumes of sediment, nutrients and gross pollutants discharged into receiving waterways. Local governments and developers in urban areas are installing and maintaining a large number of stormwater treatment assets, with the aim of improving urban runoff water quality. Many of these assets take up significant urban space and are highly visible and as a result, community acceptance is essential for effective WSUD design and implementation. However, community perceptions and knowledge about these assets have not been widely studied. This study used a survey to investigate community perceptions and knowledge about stormwater treatment assets in Brisbane, Australia. The results suggest that there is limited community knowledge of these assets, but that communities notice them and value their natural features when well-maintained. This study suggests that local governments may be able to better inform residents about the importance of these assets, and that designing for multiple purposes may improve community acceptance and support for the use of Council funds to maintain them.

Use of permeable, reservoir pavement constructions for stormwater treatment and storage for re-use

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 145-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Pratt
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Stormwater Treatment ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Permeable surfaces for roads and footpaths have been used as a means of disposal of stormwater in developed urban areas. Such surfaces provide an alternative to impermeable concrete or tarmacadam surfaces which would otherwise produce rapid stormwater runoff, leading to possible flooding and degeneration of receiving water quality through the uncontrolled discharge of polluted urban waters. A further advantage may be obtained from such constructions by undersealing them so as to retain stormwater for re-use for non-potable uses. The potential for general introduction of this type of storage and re-use system in residential areas is discussed and possible alternative designs for the drainage infrastructure proposed. To have widespread impact such a strategy must deliver cost savings as well as reduce the impact on the water environment of anticipated water usage demands. The source of such cost savings and the general environmental benefits of such systems will be presented. The materials used in such a sealed construction and the beneficial changes to the stored water quality are outlined. Recent work has also shown that where the pavement is used for car parking any oils dropped on the surface and washed into the structure by the stormwater may also be degraded. Details will be given of a site in the UK where the above construction is to be used to provide stormwater storage for re-use in flushing toilets at a Youth Hostel.

scholarly journals GREEN ROOFS TO IMPROVE THE ENERGY RENOVATION RESILIENCE OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Santi ◽  
Sara Battini
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Historic Buildings ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Green System

The introduction of vegetation in urban areas, through both green roofs and green walls, is a sustainable strategy for improving the environment and the quality of life, as well as crucial for urban biodiversity since the moment it is able to create new habitats for plant and animal species. The design and realization of green roof systems abroad is promoted and stimulated while in Italy, this subject, is still an innovation not supported by many real implementations. The application of this technological green system has a great importance for the redevelopment of existing building heritage, especially for historic buildings, to improve their energy-performance qualities, with respect for their architectural value. The aim of this study is to identify the technical issues for the realization of green roofs in urbanized contexts by focusing on the implementation of a green roof on a building of Leghorn following intervention guidelines developed. This research shows that not only does this system allow higher energy saving, but it also brings a decrease of load bearing on the structure.

Rethinking urban areas: an example of an integrated blue-green approach

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1534-1542 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Rozos ◽  
C. Makropoulos ◽  
Č. Maksimović
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Water Supply Systems ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Green Approach ◽  
Green Areas

The provision of high quality urban water services, the assets of which are often conceptualised as ‘blue infrastructure’, is essential for public health and quality of life in the cities. On the other hand, parks, recreation grounds, gardens, green roofs and in general ‘green infrastructure’, provide a range of (urban) ecosystem services (including quality of life and aesthetics) and could also be thought of as inter alia contributors to the mitigation of floods, droughts, noise, air pollution and urban heat island (UHI) effects, improvement of biodiversity, amenity values and human health. Currently, these ‘blue’ and ‘green’ assets/infrastructure are planned to operate as two separate systems despite the obvious interactions between them (for example, low runoff coefficient of green areas resulting in reduction of stormwater flows, and irrigation of green areas by potable water in increasing pressure on water supply systems). This study explores the prospects of a more integrated ‘blue-green’ approach – tested at the scale of a household. Specifically, UWOT (the Urban Water Optioneering Tool) was extended and used to assess the potential benefits of a scheme that employed locally treated greywater along with harvested rainwater for irrigating a green roof. The results of the simulations indicated that the blue-green approach combined the benefits of both ‘green’ and ‘blue’ technologies/services and at the same time minimised the disadvantages of each when installed separately.

scholarly journals Biological Treatments for Temporomandibular Joint Disc Disorders: Strategies in Tissue Engineering

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 933
Author(s):  
Daniela Trindade ◽  
Rachel Cordeiro ◽  
Henrique Cardoso José ◽  
David Faustino Ângelo ◽  
Nuno Alves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Temporomandibular Joint ◽  
Total Disc Replacement ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Temporomandibular Joint Disc ◽  
Complete Knowledge ◽  
Masticatory System ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Important Structure

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an important structure for the masticatory system and the pathologies associated with it affect a large part of the population and impair people’s lifestyle. It comprises an articular disc, that presents low regeneration capacities and the existing clinical options for repairing it are not effective. This way, it is imperative to achieve a permanent solution to guarantee a good quality of life for people who suffer from these pathologies. Complete knowledge of the unique characteristics of the disc will make it easier to achieve a successful tissue engineering (TE) construct. Thus, the search for an effective, safe and lasting solution has already started, including materials that replace the disc, is currently growing. The search for a solution based on TE approaches, which involve regenerating the disc. The present work revises the TMJ disc characteristics and its associated diseases. The different materials used for a total disc replacement are presented, highlighting the TE area. A special focus on future trends in the field and part of the solution for the TMJ problems described in this review will involve the development of a promising engineered disc approach through the use of decellularized extracellular matrices.

scholarly journals Co-design of experimental nature-based solutions for decentralized dry-weather runoff treatment retrofitted in a densely urbanized area in Central America

AMBIO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pérez Rubi ◽  
Jochen Hack
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Urban Runoff ◽  
Ecosystem Integrity ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Drainage Networks ◽  
Technical Solutions

AbstractThe quality of water in many urban rivers in Latin America is increasingly degrading due to wastewater and runoff discharges from urban sprawl. Due to deficits in sanitary drainage systems, greywater is discharged to the stormwater drainage network generating a continuous dry-weather runoff that reaches rivers without treatment. One of the main challenges in the region is to achieve sustainable management of urban runoff for the recovery of rivers ecosystem integrity. However, retrofitting conventional centralized wastewater drainage networks into the existing urban grid represents important social, economic and technical challenges. This paper presents an alternative adaptive methodology for the design of Nature-based Solutions for decentralized urban runoff treatment. Through this study, technical solutions commonly used for stormwater management were adapted for dry-weather runoff treatment and co-designed for the particular conditions of a representative study area, considering space availability as the main constraining factor for retrofitting in urban areas. The application of a co-design process in a dense neighbourhood of the Great Metropolitan area of Costa Rica brought to light valuable insights about conditions that could be hindering the implementation of NBS infrastructures in Latin America.

scholarly journals Wpływ pokrycia dachu na ilość i wielkość zawiesin w spływach deszczowych

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-469
Author(s):  
Ewa Burszta-Adamiak ◽  
Piotr Dragański ◽  
Karolina Urbańska
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Rainfall Characteristics ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Rainfall Depth ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Size Of Particles ◽  
Roofing Materials

Among various drainage surfaces which allow rainwater to be utilised locally, roofs are frequently chosen solution. This is because they represent a big share of all sealed surfaces in cities and discharged liquids are considered potentially clean. Scientific reports confirm that pollutants accumulate on roofs and influence the quality of discharged water. Suspended solids are the biggest group of pollutants which occur in runoffs. The selection of rainwater pre-treatment installation and further use of the water depends on the concentration of suspended solids and their particle size. This article describes results of a research concerning suspended solids discharged from roofs made of traditional materials as well as green-roofs located in urban areas. The quantity and size of particles were assessed against rainfall characteristics: rainfall depth, length of antecedent dry weather periods and season. Results of the research show diversity of concentration levels and size of suspended solids within runoffs in reference to roofing materials, rainfall characteristics and season. The highest concentrations of suspended solids in runoff from traditional roofs were observed during rainfall depth less than 5 mm, after ancedent dry weather periods more than  50 h and in winter. These parameters did not have significantly influence on the low concentrations of suspended solids in runoff from green roofs. Suspended solids particles with the size of up to 200 μm constitute the biggest share of all roof runoffs.

Preliminary investigation into the pollution reduction performance of swales used in a stormwater treatment train

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1014-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Kachchu Mohamed ◽  
T. Lucke ◽  
F. Boogaard
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Stormwater Treatment ◽  
Permeable Pavements ◽  
Limited Effectiveness ◽  
Treatment Train ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Maintenance Requirements

Permeable pavements have been shown to be effective stormwater treatment devices that can greatly reduce surface runoff and significantly improve the quality of stormwater runoff in urban areas. However, the potential problems with sediment clogging and consequent maintenance requirements have been identified as the main barriers to more widespread adoption of permeable pavements in urban developments. This Australian study investigates the effectiveness of using grass swales as pre-treatment devices for permeable pavements in order to reduce clogging and extend the life span of these systems. The results of simulated runoff experiments demonstrated that between 50 and 75% of the total suspended sediment (TSS) was removed within the first 10 m of the swale length. This suggests swales of this length could potentially increase the effective life of permeable pavement systems by reducing clogging, and therefore maintenance. Nutrient removal was also tested in the study and the results indicated the tested swales were of limited effectiveness in the removal of these pollutants. However, in real runoff situations, reduction of TSS will have a direct influence on removing nutrients because a significant proportion of nutrients (and other pollutants) are attached to the sediments.

An evaluation of rainwater runoff quality from selected white roof membranes

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Cupido ◽  
Brian Baetz ◽  
Yiping Guo ◽  
Anna Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Field Research ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Modified Bitumen ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Rainwater Runoff ◽  
Thermoplastic Polyolefin ◽  
Runoff Quality

While there has been research on rainwater quality and quantity from green roofs and some conventional roof systems, there does not appear to be any significant study regarding the quality of rainwater harvested from selected white membrane roof systems and subsequently treated for potable use in an urban, institutional setting. A new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Canada Gold facility on the campus of McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada offered an excellent opportunity to analyze the quality of rainwater from different roof assemblies. Field research was undertaken on the evaluation of three white roof membranes: modified bitumen finish ply, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO); and their effects on the runoff water quality were studied. An analysis of the quality of runoff was performed from each of these three membranes and compared with Ontario provincial drinking water standards. This paper provides the results of runoff quality testing on these membranes and their suitability for future institutional green building applications.

EFFECT OF GREEN ROOF AGE ON RUNOFF WATER QUALITY IN PORTLAND, OREGON

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrett Okita ◽  
Cara Poor ◽  
Jessica M. Kleiss ◽  
Ted Eckmann
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Runoff Water

Green roofs have become a common method to increase water retention on-site in urban areas. However, the long-term water quality of runoff from green roofs is poorly understood. This study evaluated the water quality of stormwater runoff from a regular (non-vegetated) roof, a green roof installed 6 months previously, and a green roof installed 6 years ago in Portland, Oregon. Samples of runoff were taken during every rain event for 10 months, and analyzed for total phosphorus (TP), phosphate (PO3-4), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate (NO-3), ammonia (NH3), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Runoff from the green roofs had higher concentrations of TP and PO3-4 and lower concentrations of Zn compared to the regular roof. Average TP concentrations from the 6-year old roof and 6-month old roof were 6.3 and 14.6 times higher, respectively, than concentrations from the regular roof, and average PO3-4 concentrations from the 6-year old roof and 6-month old roof were 13.5 and 26.6 times higher, respectively, compared to the regular roof. Runoff from the 6-month old green roof had higher concentrations of TP and PO3-4 than the 6-year old green roof during the wet season, but lower concentrations during the dry season. The 6-month old green roof installations where receiving waters are sensitive or impaired may need additional treatment methods to reduce phosphorus levels. As green roofs age, water retention decreases and phosphorus leaching increases during the dry season.

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