Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Micropollutants in Water Sensitive Urban Design systems

Part of TR37010: Urban Drainage Systems as Key Infrastructures in Cities and Towns

Student: Anja RandjelovicMentors: Nenad Jacimovic, Ana Deletic

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Micropollutants?• Industrial chemicals, flame retardants, pharmaceutically active

compounds and their metabolic products (even heavy metals)• Present ubiquitously in the aquatic environment in orders of micrograms

and nanograms per liter• Conventional treatment systems cannot “cope” with them • EU Water Framework directive – list of priority pollutants (to be revised

every four years)

Annex II of Directive 2008/105/EC

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

• Life habits of present day population: polymer construction materials, paints, detergents, pharmaceuticals, pesticides...

• Point sources – industries, medical waste, conventional waste water treatment plants

• Diffuse sources – entire urban or rural catchment

• Due to the persistence, the bioaccumulation potential and the toxicity of micropollutants, it is necessary to minimize their input into the sewage system and water bodies.

Sources of micropollutants

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Water Sensitive Urban Design SystemsGross Pollutant Trap

Buffer Strip

Vegetated SwaleSystems less suspected to help

with micropollutants

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Water Sensitive Urban Design Systems

Constructed Wetland

Detention pond

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Water Sensitive Urban Design Systems

Biofiltration System

Infiltration System

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Modelling concepts• Conceptual models– Simple mass balances

• Modular – possibilities for integrated modeling– Quantity detached from quality module– Catchment, routing, treatment system...

• Flexible– Quality modules – processes/fate of pollutants governed by

their inherent properties.• Use of available data– Ie. Inherent properties of micropollutants – use of public

databases

Catchment Routing WSUD

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

1b. Sewer system routingMuskingum - Cunge

1a. Catchment scale water quantity submodelMOPUS (SymHid based)

Micropollutants before WSUD

…to WSUD

Catchment Routing WSUD

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

2b. Pollution generation – EMC – semi-stochastic(Bach et al. 2010)

2a. Pollution generation – EMC – stochastic (MUSIC concept)

Micropollutants before WSUDCatchment Routing WSUD

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

3a. Water quantity - Dominant horizontal flow

Micropollutants in and after WSUD

Inflow OutflowET

Seep

Rain

Volume

in out rain et seep

dVQ Q Q Q Q

dt

Mass conservation:

Used for:- Detention

Ponds- Wetlands etc.

Catchment Routing WSUD

Micropollutants in and after WSUD

,1 , ,min

capacity mediafilter oninfiltrati potential

wateravailable

t

nDAsKAQA

t

hQ ff

finp

pf

Used for:-Infiltration Systems- Biofilters etc.

Catchment Routing WSUD

3a. Water Quantity - Dominant vertical flow

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

3b. WSUD systems, Universal Stormwater Treatment Model (Wong et al. 2006)

Micropollutants in and after WSUD

Series of Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors

Phase 1: Mixing

Phase 2: Removal process

Vo

co

Qin

cin

Qout

cout = co

Blue Green Dream Workshop 26.04.2013.

Phase 2: Compartment process modelling

P D

Settling / resuspension

Partitioning(slow/fast)

VolatilizationPhotolysis

P DPartitioning

Hydrolysis

Aerobic/Anaerobic biodegradationDiffusion

Aerobic/Anaerobic biodegradation

Qin, Pin Din Qout, Pout Dout

Plant uptake

HydrolysisStraining

Qout, Pout

Dout

Water

Sediment

Particulate phaseMechanical processes

Dissolved phasePhysicalPhysico-chemicalBio-chemical

Preliminary study - tracers

Water Quantity

Water Quality

Thank you!