title: Processing and analysis of roadway runoff micro (< 20 μm) particles.
abstract: This study was performed to compare paper and sieving filtration methods for processing micro particles (< 20 μm) in roadway runoff for water quality evaluation. The consequence of a lack of reliable particle processing on particle number, particle concentration and particulate elemental composition, as well as their influence on particle mass and pollutant load calculations, is discussed. Results show that the paper filtering method can affect the measurement of particle size distributions of highway runoff samples. Contrary to common practice, it is not always correct to assume that the number and concentration of particles < 38 μm is the same as the number and concentration of particles < 20 μm. Processed samples for micro particles were most similar to unprocessed samples when nylon sieves were used. Samples filtered by paper deviated significantly from unprocessed samples. These deviations can cause inaccuracies up to 90 percent, in particle count and concentration, TSS calculations, elemental mass composition, and particle and elemental mass loading.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Ghausi Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA. mdkayhanian@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kayhanian
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Givens
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005374:Filtration; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D014186:Transportation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants