What pollutants are found in stormwater runoff?

Stormwater pollution can include chemicals, fast food wrappers, cigarette butts, Styrofoam cups, sewage overflow, cooking oil, bacteria from pet waste, used motor oil, fertilizers, paint and construction debris.

What are some pollutants that can be found in runoff?

Stormwater runoff collects an often-toxic mix of pollutants including:

• Trash.
• Soil and sediment.
• Fecal bacteria.
• Nitrogen and phosphorus.
• Oil and other petroleum products.
• Pesticides and herbicides.
• Road salt.
• Toxic metals including copper, lead, and zinc.

What is stormwater EPA?

EPA works to reduce runoff and improve water quality by implementing stormwater management at its facilties. Stormwater is rainwater or melted snow that runs off streets, lawns and other sites. When stormwater is absorbed into soil, it is filtered and ultimately replenishes aquifers or flows into streams and rivers.

What are the pollutants called?

Under the Clean Air Act, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for six common air pollutants, also called “criteria pollutants”: particulates; smog and ground-level ozone; carbon monoxide; sulfur oxides; nitrogen oxides; and lead.

What is in stormwater runoff?

Stormwater runoff is rainfall that flows over the ground surface. Stormwater runoff also picks up and carries with it many different pollutants that are found on paved surfaces such as sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria, oil and grease, trash, pesticides and metals.

What is runoff pollution?

Stormwater (or polluted runoff) is rain or melting snow that flows over the ground. In urban or developed areas, stormwater runs over pavement and parking lots, picking up oil and other pollutants before flowing into a nearby river or stream.

What is stormwater infrastructure?

Stormwater systems range from large concrete storm sewers, roadside ditches, and flood control reservoirs, to rain gardens and natural riverine systems. Many of the country’s legacy stormwater systems, are struggling with the high cost of retrofits needed to address urban flooding and climate change.

What are the three types of pollutants?

The three major types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution.

What are the five pollutants?

5 Major Outdoor Air Pollutants

• Ozone (O3)
• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
• Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5)

How does stormwater runoff cause nutrient pollution?

Stormwater runoff can cause a number of environmental problems: Stormwater runoff can push excess nutrients from fertilizers, pet waste and other sources into rivers and streams. Nutrients can fuel the growth of algae blooms that create low-oxygen dead zones that suffocate marine life.

What causes stormwater runoff?

Stormwater runoff is generated from rain and snowmelt that flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, and does not soak into the ground. Rain gardens collect rain water from roofs, roads, and parking lots and allow it to soak into the ground.

How does stormwater pollution affect drinking water?

The combination of pollutants found in stormwater runoff, including bacteria from septic systems and pet feces, makes these bodies of water much harder to treat to be safe to drink. This can, of course, lead to health issues for those who consume it if not treated properly. Surprisingly, even being in contact with polluted water can be dangerous.

What are the effects of stormwater runoff?

Stormwater runoff can contain nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants from fertilizers and pet and yard waste. During periods of heavy rainfall or snowmelt some wastewater systems are designed to occasionally overflow and discharge excess untreated sewage directly to nearby streams, rivers or other water bodies.

What are runoff pollutants and how can we prevent them?

Runoff pollutants come from many different sources such as oil on our roads, trash dropped on the streets, and sediment from construction sites. These pollutants can cause algal blooms, bacterial growth, harm to animal and human health, dirty beaches, and beach closures. Prevention is the key.

What are the most common stormwater pollutants?

Stormwater pollution can include chemicals, fast food wrappers, cigarette butts, Styrofoam cups, sewage overflow, cooking oil, bacteria from pet waste, used motor oil, fertilizers, paint and construction debris. Photo courtesy of the City of Palo Alto, CA. Used oil from a single oil change can pollute up to one million gallons of freshwater.