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Assessment of Water Quality of Runoff from Sealed Asphalt Surfaces
Citation:
ROWE, A. AND T. O'CONNOR. Assessment of Water Quality of Runoff from Sealed Asphalt Surfaces. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-10/178, 2011.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
This report discusses the results of runoff tests from recently-sealed asphalt surfaces conducted at EPA's Urban Watershed Research Facility (UWRF) in Edison, New Jersey. Both bench-scale panels and full-scale test plots were evaluated. Full-scale tests were performed on an asphalt portion of the UWRD parking lot; no parking was allowed on any of the surfaces to minimize cross-contamination from other sources. A variety of water quality analyses of the runoff were conducted. The primary measurements were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs). Sealants applied to asphalt surfaces leached measurable quantities of PAHs. Results indicated that the time from the initial sealant application is a major factor in observed PAH concentration in runoff. The highest concentration occurred with the initial wetting of the sealed surfaces. The highest PAH concentrations measured were in runoff samples where sampling was performed twenty-four hours after application of sealants to the asphalt surface. Toxicity screening assays produced inconclusive data due to matrix effects associated with the runoff composition.