Performance of a filtration system equipped with filter media for parking lot runoff treatment

Stormwater runoff from automobile trafficked areas introduces significant loads of pollutants to receiving water bodies leading to an adverse long term effect. To control runoff pollutants from parking lot, a filtration treatment system with a layered filter media activated carbon, composite, vermiculite and zeolite was installed. The removal of the pollutant constituents was evaluated in this study. During a monitoring period of eighteen months eleven runoff samples were collected from the influent and effluent sections and analyzed for the mentioned pollutant parameters. The mean influent annual load of TSS, Cu and Zn were 2600, 2.1 and 3.5 kg respectively. For the monitoring period mean removal efficiencies of 85% for TSS, 75% for Cu, 73% for Zn, 83% for 16 EPA PAHs, 70 to 98% for individual PAHs, 93% for mineral oil, 71% for NH4–N and 52% for TOC were achieved. Greater than 60% of the Cu load was removed within the filter chambers, but > 60% of Zn and TSS loads were removed in the sedimentation tank, oil separator and geotextile filter mainly due to filtration, precipitation and sorption to sediments. Furthermore, except for chrysene heavier molecular weight PAH compounds were effectively removed than lighter molecular weight PAH compounds. The treatment mechanisms include: filtration, precipitation, adsorption and cation exchange.

Research Highlights
► Parking lot stormwater runoff mobilizes a variety of pollutant constituents.
► Treatment efficiency of a filter system equipped with layered filter media.
► The system effectively reduced TSS, heavy metals, PAHs, mineral oil and NH4–N.
► Filter chamber filled with small grain size of zeolite performed better.
► Treatment mechanisms: filtration, precipitation, adsorption and cation exchange.