Human health risk assessment for toxic chemical pollutants in urban stormwater

Abstract

Accurate and efficient risk assessment of toxic chemical pollutants present in urban stormwater is essential for safely utilizing this potential water resource. The mathematical equations developed in Chap. 3 were applied for predicting stormwater quality using quantitative parameters including traffic volume and land use area percentages. This chapter firstly presents a detailed risk assessment approach based on the quantitative parameters. However, quantitative parameters alone are not adequate to interpret the associated risk. As such, the influence of qualitative parameters (i.e. traffic and land use characteristics) in relation to stormwater risk was also analyzed. Consequently, two qualitative parameters, including fraction of vehicle related businesses (FVS) and braking and starting frequency (BSF) were selected to further refine the risk model developed. The eventual risk assessment model is expected to provide practical approaches for stormwater risk management in the context of stormwater reuse and urban planning.