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The Role of Green Roofs as a Source/sink of Pollutants in Storm Water Outflows

Author

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  • I. Gnecco
  • A. Palla
  • L.G. Lanza
  • P. Barbera

Abstract

Green roofs are increasingly used as sustainable urban drainage systems due to their retention and detention capacity; however, the impact of green roofs in term of water quality is still a debated issue among researchers. A monitoring programme was carried out at the University of Genoa on a full-scale experimental site to assess the quality of storm water outflows. As for rainfall, the bulk deposition (dry and wet fractions) is collected to evaluate the role of the overall atmospheric deposition in altering storm water quality. The pollutant load observed in the green roof outflow is limited; concentration values for solids and metals are lower than those generally observed in storm water runoff from impervious surfaces. Suspended solids and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) are below respectively 10 and 20 mg/l, on average; as for heavy metals, copper and zinc are equal to 30 μg/l on average, while iron is equal to 120 μg/l. The Event Mean Concentration (EMC) statistics of the pollutant loads associated with the rainfall and outflow have been compared and discussed. The observed green roof behaviour as a sink/source of pollutants with respect to the atmospheric deposition is also investigated based on both concentration and mass. Results demonstrate that: green roof behaves as a source with respect to solids, COD and potassium while zinc and mainly copper are retained within the green roof stratigraphy. The resulting mass delivery behaviour reveals that no significant first flush occurs for pollutant constituents irrespective of the hydrologic characteristics and pollutant sources. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Suggested Citation

  • I. Gnecco & A. Palla & L.G. Lanza & P. Barbera, 2013. "The Role of Green Roofs as a Source/sink of Pollutants in Storm Water Outflows," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(14), pages 4715-4730, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:27:y:2013:i:14:p:4715-4730
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-013-0414-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. C. Vialle & C. Sablayrolles & M. Lovera & M.-C. Huau & S. Jacob & M. Montrejaud-Vignoles, 2012. "Water Quality Monitoring and Hydraulic Evaluation of a Household Roof Runoff Harvesting System in France," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(8), pages 2233-2241, June.
    2. Alar Teemusk & Ülo Mander, 2011. "The Influence of Green Roofs on Runoff Water Quality: A Case Study from Estonia," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 25(14), pages 3699-3713, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. A. Raimondi & G. Becciu, 2021. "Performance of Green Roofs for Rainwater Control," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(1), pages 99-111, January.
    2. Mitali Yeshwant Joshi & Jacques Teller, 2021. "Urban Integration of Green Roofs: Current Challenges and Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-33, November.
    3. Yiping Guo & Shouhong Zhang & Shuguang Liu, 2014. "Runoff Reduction Capabilities and Irrigation Requirements of Green Roofs," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 28(5), pages 1363-1378, March.
    4. Grzegorz Pęczkowski & Katarzyna Szawernoga & Tomasz Kowalczyk & Wojciech Orzepowski & Ryszard Pokładek, 2020. "Runoff and Water Quality in the Aspect of Environmental Impact Assessment of Experimental Area of Green Roofs in Lower Silesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Maria Luíza Santos & Cristina Matos Silva & Filipa Ferreira & José Saldanha Matos, 2023. "Hydrological Analysis of Green Roofs Performance under a Mediterranean Climate: A Case Study in Lisbon, Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Hashemi, Sajedeh Sadat Ghazizadeh & Mahmud, Hilmi Bin & Ashraf, Muhammad Aqeel, 2015. "Performance of green roofs with respect to water quality and reduction of energy consumption in tropics: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 669-679.

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