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Study of traffic-related pollution and its treatment with a particular focus on microplastics in tunnel wash and road runoff water
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Researchers evaluated the efficiency of treatment systems for removing traffic-related microplastics from tunnel wash water (TWW) and road runoff water (RRW) in Norway, analyzing six polymer types plus tire rubber particles and road marking paint across summer and winter samples. Polymer concentrations in TWW ranged from 0.12 to 0.26 µg/L, while tire rubber and road marking paint concentrations were significantly higher in winter samples, highlighting seasonal variability in traffic-related microplastic pollution.
Treatment of tunnel wash runoff water and road runoff water before it reaches the environment is recommended to limit the negative consequences of traffic-related pollution. The efficiency of existing water treatment systems to remove traffic-related microplastic (MP) has not been sufficiently documented. Expanding the knowledge about traffic-related MP and documenting the treatment efficiency of MP in road tunnel wash water (TWW) and road runoff (RRW) treatment systems were the objectives of the presented project. TWW from the Tåsen tunnel, Norway, and RRW from the Fossbekken sedimentation pond were investigated in summer and winter situations. Six commonly available polymer types, tire rubber tread particles (TRP), and road marking paints (RMP) were analyzed in the selected samples. About 0.12 and 0.26 μg/L of polymers were identified in winter and summer TWWs. Significantly higher tire rubber and road marking paint concentrations were identified in the winter sample compared to summer sample. Suspended particle concentration in the Fossbekken RRW treatment pond effluent was lower in the summer than in the winter sample. About 0.002 and 0.0008 μg/L polymer masses were identified in winter and summer samples, respectively. TRP in the winter and summer samples were 0.7 and 0.2 μg7/L, and 13.4 μg/L RMP was found in the winter sample, while it was only 0.008 μg/L in the summer sample.
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