title: Effects of climate change on the wash-off of volatile organic compounds from urban roads.
abstract: The predicted changes in rainfall characteristics due to climate change could adversely affect stormwater quality in highly urbanised coastal areas throughout the world. This in turn will exert a significant influence on the discharge of pollutants to estuarine and marine waters. Hence, an in-depth analysis of the effects of such changes on the wash-off of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from urban roads in the Gold Coast region in Australia was undertaken. The rainfall characteristics were simulated using a rainfall simulator. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multicriteria Decision tools such as PROMETHEE and GAIA were employed to understand the VOC wash-off under climate change. It was found that low, low to moderate and high rain events due to climate change will affect the wash-off of toluene, ethylbenzene, meta-xylene, para-xylene and ortho-xylene from urban roads in Gold Coast. Total organic carbon (TOC) was identified as predominant carrier of toluene, meta-xylene and para-xylene in <1 μm to 150 μm fractions and for ethylbenzene in 150 μm to >300 μm fractions under such dominant rain events due to climate change. However, ortho-xylene did not show such affinity towards either TOC or TSS (total suspended solids) under the simulated climatic conditions.
authors: School of Urban Development, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane 4001, Queensland, Australia. s.mahbub@qut.edu.au
authors: Parvez
authors: P
authors: Mahbub
authors: Ashantha
authors: A
authors: Goonetilleke
authors: Godwin A
authors: GA
authors: Ayoko
authors: Prasanna
authors: P
authors: Egodawatta
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D057231:Climate Change; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011891:Rain; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D014872:Water Movements; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D014873:Water Pollutants