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Transport and the Environment: Effects of Organic Pollutants on Water Quality
Author(s) -
Ellis J. B.,
Revitt D. M.,
Llewellyn N.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-6593.1997.tb00112.x
Subject(s) - environmental science , pollutant , surface runoff , pollution , water quality , environmental engineering , water pollution , environmental hazard , environmental protection , environmental chemistry , ecology , chemistry , biology
The eighteenth report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution made no reference to any potential environmental impacts resulting from runoff pollution associated with transport activities. This paper identifies the magnitude and extent of pollution associated with discharges from various transport sources and identifies solids, metals, hydrocarbons, herbicides and de‐icing agents as the principal contaminants of environmental concern. The impacts of these pollutants on the receiving water are reviewed. They are primarily associated with highways which have a high traffic density, and herbicides are considered to be the only potential and widespread hazard to groundwaters. Highway and airport runoff are shown to have both acute and chronic effects on biotic diversity and organism mortality rates, although these effects appear to be largely confined to reaches immediately downstream from the discharge outfalls.