title: Assessing uncertainty in pollutant build-up and wash-off processes.
abstract: Assessing build-up and wash-off process uncertainty is important for accurate interpretation of model outcomes to facilitate informed decision making for developing effective stormwater pollution mitigation strategies. Uncertainty inherent to pollutant build-up and wash-off processes influences the variations in pollutant loads entrained in stormwater runoff from urban catchments. However, build-up and wash-off predictions from stormwater quality models do not adequately represent such variations due to poor characterisation of the variability of these processes in mathematical models. The changes to the mathematical form of current models with the incorporation of process variability, facilitates accounting for process uncertainty without significantly affecting the model prediction performance. Moreover, the investigation of uncertainty propagation from build-up to wash-off confirmed that uncertainty in build-up process significantly influences wash-off process uncertainty. Specifically, the behaviour of particles <150 μm during build-up primarily influences uncertainty propagation, resulting in appreciable variations in the pollutant load and composition during a wash-off event.
authors: Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: b.mahappukankanamalage@qut.edu.au.
authors: Buddhi
authors: B
authors: Wijesiri
authors: Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: p.egodawatta@qut.edu.au.
authors: Prasanna
authors: P
authors: Egodawatta
authors: Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: james.mcgree@qut.edu.au.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: McGree
authors: Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, 4001, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: a.goonetilleke@qut.edu.au.
authors: Ashantha
authors: A
authors: Goonetilleke
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011891:Rain / Q000737:chemistry*; D035501:Uncertainty; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Particle size; Pollutant build-up; Pollutant wash-off; Process uncertainty; Stormwater pollutant processes; Stormwater quality