title: Heavy metal capture and accumulation in bioretention media.
abstract: Heavy metal capture and accumulation in bioretention media were investigated through the use of a one-dimensional filtration equation for particulate metals, advection/dispersion/adsorption transport equations for dissolved metals, and sequential extractions. Predicted spatial profiles and partitioning patterns of captured metals were compared to data derived from a bioretention cell in the District of Columbia. Zinc, lead, and copper profiles showed a high surface accumulation, significantly decreasing with the media depth. Surface street particle-enriched areas had the highest heavy metal levels, demonstrating a close relationship between capture of metals and runoff particles. Sequential extractions suggested that most captured metals were of anthropogenic origin. Soluble-exchangeable bound metals from the sequential extraction correlated well with predicted aqueous dissolved metals; the more strongly associated metal fractions correlated with modeled runoff and media particulate metals. A simple risk evaluation indicated thatlead isthe limiting metal in bioretention accumulation. On the basis of information collected in this study, a shallow bioretention cell design is suggested for systems with a focus on metal capture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Houng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Allen P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Davis