Publications—Open-File Report 00–422
By Robert F. Breault and Gregory E. Granato
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00–422
Prepared in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. A Contribution to the National Highway Runoff Data and Methodology Synthesis.
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This report is available in Portable Document Format (PDF):
OFR 00–422 (663 KB) – 77
pages
Trace elements, which are regulated for
aquatic life protection, are a primary concern in
highway- and urban-runoff studies because
stormwater runoff may transport these constituents
from the land surface to receiving waters. Many of
these trace elements are essential for biological
activity and become detrimental only when
geologic or anthropogenic sources exceed concentrations
beyond ranges typical of the natural environment.
The Federal Highway Administration
and State Transportation Agencies are concerned
about the potential effects of highway runoff on
the watershed scale and for the management and
protection of watersheds. Transportation agencies
need information that is documented as valid,
current, and scientifically defensible to support
planning and management decisions. There are
many technical issues of concern for monitoring
trace elements; therefore, trace-element data
commonly are considered suspect, and the responsibility
to provide data-quality information to
support the validity of reported results rests with
the data-collection agency.
Paved surfaces are fundamentally different
physically, hydraulically, and chemically from
the natural surfaces typical of most freshwater
systems that have been the focus of many traceelement-
monitoring studies. Existing scientific
conceptions of the behavior of trace elements in
the environment are based largely upon research
on natural systems, rather than on systems typical
of pavement runoff. Additionally, the logistics
of stormwater sampling are difficult because of
the great uncertainty in the occurrence and magnitude
of storm events. Therefore, trace-element
monitoring programs may be enhanced if monitoring
and sampling programs are automated. Automation
would standardize the process and provide
a continuous record of the variations in flow and
water-quality characteristics.
Great care is required to collect and process
samples in a manner that will minimize potential
contamination or attenuation of trace elements and
other sources of bias and variability in the sampling
process. Trace elements have both natural
and anthropogenic sources that may affect the
sampling process, including the sample-collection
and handling materials used in many trace-element
monitoring studies. Trace elements also react with
these materials within the timescales typical for
collection, processing and analysis of runoff samples.
To study the characteristics and potential
effects of trace elements in highway and urban
runoff, investigators typically sample one or more
operationally defined matrixes including: whole
water, dissolved (filtered water), suspended sediment,
bottom sediment, biological tissue, and contaminant
sources. The sampling and analysis of
each of these sample matrixes can provide specific
information about the occurrence and distribution
of trace elements in runoff and receiving waters. There are, however, technical concerns specific
to each matrix that must be understood and
addressed through use of proper collection and
processing protocols. Valid protocols are designed
to minimize inherent problems and to maximize
the accuracy, precision, comparability, and representativeness
of data collected. Documentation,
including information about monitoring protocols,
quality assurance and quality control efforts,
and ancillary data also is necessary to establish
data quality. This documentation is especially
important for evaluation of historical traceelement
monitoring data, because trace-element
monitoring protocols and analysis methods have
been constantly changing over the past 30 years.
Abstract
Introduction
Problem
Purpose and Scope
Acknowledgments
Background
Trace-Element Monitoring
Clean Monitoring Methods
Clean Monitoring Materials
Spatial and Temporal Variability
Stormwater Monitoring Logistics
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Sampling Matrix
Whole Water
Benefits
Technical Concerns
Dissolved (Filtered Water)
Benefits
Technical Concerns
Suspended Sediment
Benefits
Technical Concerns
Bottom Sediment
Benefits
Technical Concerns
Biological Tissue
Benefits
Technical Concerns
Sources
Vehicular Sources
Sources in the Highway Environment
Data-Quality Issues for Regional or National Synthesis
Summary
References
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Suggested Citation:
Breault, R.F., Granato, G.E., 2000, A synopsis of technical issues for monitoring trace elements in highway and urban runoff: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-422, 67 p.
For additional information write to:
Director,
USGS Massachusetts–Rhode Island Water Science Center
10 Bearfoot Road
Northborough, MA 01532or visit our Web site at:
http://ma.water.usgs.gov
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