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Permeable Asphalt Pavements (PAP): Benefits, Clogging Factors and Methods for Evaluation and Maintenance—A Review
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This review examines permeable asphalt pavements as a stormwater management solution that allows water to infiltrate rather than run off urban surfaces. Researchers found that while these pavements effectively filter pollutants including microplastics from stormwater, their performance degrades over time due to sediment clogging. The study evaluates methods for assessing and maintaining pavement permeability to sustain their environmental benefits.
Permeable asphalt pavement (PAP) is an efficient solution to stormwater management, allowing water to infiltrate through its layers. This reduces surface runoff and mitigates urban flooding risks. In addition to these hydrological benefits, PAP enhances water quality by filtering pollutants such as organic and inorganic materials and microplastics. However, clogging from sediment accumulation in the pavement's void structure often impairs its performance, reducing infiltration capacity. This review addresses several issues related to PAP, including the factors that contribute to pavement clogging and evaluates current and emerging maintenance strategies, including manual removal, pressure washing, regenerative air sweeping and vacuum truck utilization. Additionally, different methods of assessing clogging using innovative technology such as X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT), as well as a summary of the software used to process these images, are presented and discussed as tools for identifying clogging patterns, analyzing void structure and simulating permeability. This review identifies gaps in existing methodologies and suggests innovative approaches, including the creation of self-cleaning materials designed to prevent sediment buildup, biomimetic designs modeled after natural filtration systems and maintenance protocols designed for targeted clogging depths, to support the optimization of PAP systems and promote their adoption in resilient urban infrastructure designs in alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Long-term environmental performance of precast slabs in permeable pavements: hydraulic functionality and pollutant retention in a real-life installation
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Researchers assessed the long-term environmental performance of precast permeable pavement slabs in a real-world installation, finding that accumulated contaminants including microplastics build up within the porous structure over time. The study highlights the dual role of permeable pavements as both stormwater management infrastructure and a potential reservoir for pollutants requiring periodic maintenance.
Permeable pavement systems for microplastic mitigation: Critical insights on transport, retention, detection and removal efficiency
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This review of 28 studies finds that special "permeable pavements" — designed to let rainwater soak through instead of running off streets into rivers — can trap 89-99% of tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the short term, which matters because these particles wash off roads and eventually make their way into waterways, soil, and potentially our food and water supply. However, scientists still don't know if these pavements keep working well over years of use, or whether the trapped plastic particles could eventually break free again, so more long-term testing is needed before we can call this a lasting solution.
Balancing Hydrological Performance and Structural Capacity: A Comparative Review of Permeable Pavement Systems for Urban Stormwater Management
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This review paper looks at "permeable pavement," a type of road or sidewalk surface that lets rainwater soak through instead of running off. Beyond reducing flooding, these pavements can filter out pollutants like microplastics before water reaches rivers and groundwater, which matters since we may end up drinking that water or eating fish exposed to it.
Permeable pavement blocks as a sustainable solution for managing microplastic pollution in urban stormwater
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Researchers tested whether permeable pavement, the kind of pavement that lets water drain through it, can filter out microplastics from urban stormwater runoff. They found it can trap microplastic particles effectively, suggesting permeable pavement could be a practical tool for reducing the amount of microplastics that wash into rivers and oceans from city streets.
Removal and fate of microplastics in permeable pavements: An experimental layer-by-layer analysis
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Researchers tested permeable pavements as a way to capture microplastics from urban stormwater runoff and found they retained 89% to over 99% of microplastic particles. The microplastics accumulated mainly on the pavement surface and in geotextile filter layers, preventing them from reaching natural waterways. This type of sustainable urban drainage could be an effective tool for reducing the amount of microplastics that wash off roads and into the water sources people depend on.
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