URBAN RUNOFF IMPACTS ON PARTICULATE METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN RIVER SEINE

Citation
A. Estebe et al., URBAN RUNOFF IMPACTS ON PARTICULATE METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN RIVER SEINE, Water, air and soil pollution, 108(1-2), 1998, pp. 83-105
Citations number
43
Categorie Soggetti
Environmental Sciences","Water Resources","Metereology & Atmospheric Sciences
ISSN journal
00496979
Volume
108
Issue
1-2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
83 - 105
Database
ISI
SICI code
0049-6979(1998)108:1-2<83:URIOPM>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
Metallic contents (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) of suspended solids (SS) were measu red in two sites (Suresnes and Chatou) in the river Seine, downstream Paris, during three summer periods. These two sites, which are respect ively located downstream and upstream two of the most important combin ed sewer overflows (CSO's) of the Parisian sewer system (Clichy and La Briche), allow us to assess these CSO immediate impacts. Samples were collected using sediment traps, weekly during dry weather and daily d uring the week following the major CSO's events. The heavy metal conce ntrations, relatively large but stable during summer periods, were sho wn to further increase downstream Paris after main rain discharges occ urred. Metal concentrations measured within the Seine SS during rain e vents, allowed us to establish that the observable immediate impact of Clichy overflows is only 5% of what it could be. The general principl e demonstrated through this work is that most SS originating from CSO' s rapidly settle once they reach the river. These polluted particles g reatly contribute to the SS chronic pollution downstream Paris during dry weather, through a slow resuspension mechanism of the deposited se diments.