Regional Stormwater Monitoring and Urban BMP Evaluation (Prop 13): Publications & Spreadsheets

Report: A BMP Toolbox for Reducing Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Mercury (Hg) in Municipal Stormwater.pdf

Report: Desktop Evaluation of Controls for Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Mercury Load Reduction.pdf

The Excel Workbooks provided in this report are intended to provide a means of updating load reduction projections as new information becomes available. The workbooks are intended to be stand alone documents and include tabs that contain key information from the literature. The worksheets vary considerably because the load reduction concepts vary so much , and include various tabs that contain literature sources and graphic displays of results. The projections are made in the “calculations” worksheet. The calculations worksheets, depending on the load reduction concept, are commonly subdivided into three categories, consisting of separate portions of the worksheet that address sediment, PCBs and Hg. The cells that contain input data are colored in yellow and these are the cells that most users would consider changing as new information becomes available. Many of these cells also provide the source of information for the current value. The user may then update any of the input cells with revised data and the worksheet will automatically update the load reduction projection.

The excel-based spreadsheets that accompany the Desktop Evaluation can be found at the bottom of this page.

Report: Concentrations of PCBs and Hg in soils, sediments and water in the urbanized Bay Area: Implications for best management.doc

Journal Publication: Rothenberg SE, McKee L, Gilbreath A, Yee D, Connor M, Fu X. 2010. Wet deposition of mercury within the vicinity of a cement plant before and during cement plant maintenance. Atmospheric Environment, Volume 44, Issue 10, March 2010, Pages 1255-1262.

Abstract: Hg species (total mercury, methylmercury, reactive mercury) in precipitation were investigated in the vicinity of the Lehigh Hanson Permanente Cement Plant in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA., USA. Precipitation was collected weekly between November 29, 2007 and March 20, 2008, which included the period in February and March 2008 when cement production was minimized during annual plant maintenance. When the cement plant was operational, the volume weighted mean (VWM) and wet depositional flux for total Hg (HgT) were 6.7 and 5.8 times higher, respectively, compared to a control site located 3.5 km east of the cement plant. In February and March, when cement plant operations were minimized, levels were approximately equal at both sites (the ratio for both parameters was 1.1). Due to the close proximity between the two sites, meteorological conditions (e.g., precipitation levels, wind direction) were similar, and therefore higher VWM HgT levels and HgT deposition likely reflected increased Hg emissions from the cement plant. Methylmercury (MeHg) and reactive Hg (Hg(II)) were also measured; compared to the control site, the VWM for MeHg was lower at the cement plant (the ratio = 0.75) and the VWM for Hg(II) was slightly higher (ratio = 1.2), which indicated the cement plant was not likely a significant source of these Hg species to the watershed.

To request a copy of the author's personal PDF file of this publication, please email Alicia Gilbreath at [email protected].

Journal Publication: Rothenberg SE, McKee L, Gilbreath A, Yee D, Connor M, Fu X. 2010. Evidence for short-range transport of atmospheric mercury to a rural, inland site. Atmospheric Environment, Volume 44, Issue 10, March 2010, Pages 1263-1273.

Abstract: Atmospheric mercury (Hg) species, including gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and particulate-bound mercury (Hgp), were monitored near three sites, including a cement plant (monitored in 2007 and 2008), an urban site and a rural site (both monitored in 2005 and 2008). Although the cement plant was a significant source of Hg emissions (for 2008, GEM: 2.20 ± 1.39 ng m−3, RGM: 25.2 ± 52.8 pg m−3, Hgp 80.8 ± 283 pg m−3), average GEM levels and daytime average dry depositional RGM flux were highest at the rural site, when all three sites were monitored sequentially in 2008 (rural site, GEM: 2.37 ± 1.26 ng m−3, daytime RGM flux: 29 ± 40 ng m−2 day−1). Photochemical conversion of GEM was not the primary RGM source, as highest net RGM gains (75.9 pg m−3, 99.0 pg m−3, 149 m−3) occurred within 3.0–5.3 h, while the theoretical time required was 14–23 h. Instead, simultaneous peaks in RGM, Hgp, ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide in the late afternoon suggested short-range transport of RGM from the urban center to the rural site. The rural site was located more inland, where the average water vapor mixing ratio was lower compared to the other two sites (in 2008, rural: 5.6 ± 1.4 g kg−1, urban: 9.0 ± 1.1 g kg−1, cement plant: 8.3 ± 2.2 g kg−1). Together, these findings suggested short-range transport of O3 from an urban area contributed to higher RGM deposition at the rural site, while drier conditions helped sustain elevated RGM levels. Results suggested less urbanized environments may be equally or perhaps more impacted by industrial atmospheric Hg emissions, compared to the urban areas from where Hg emissions originated.

To request a copy of the author's personal PDF file of this publication, please email Alicia Gilbreath at [email protected].

Report: Trends in Suspended Sediment Input to the San Francisco Bay from Local Tributary Watersheds (PWA) March2006.pdf

SFEI followed this effort with another effort funded by the Regional Monitoring Program. That report, written by Lewicki and McKee (2009), can be accessed here.

Memo: Estimates of hydrology in small (<80 km2) urbanized watersheds under dry weather and high flow conditions.doc

White Paper: Review of methods to reduce urban stormwater loads.pdf

QAPP.pdf

Monitoring Plan.pdf