Little is know about the occurrence of perchlorate in RI’s water. There is no known information on the occurrence of perchlorate in surface water and a preliminary study of ground-water samples from 9 public-supply wells, conducted by the RI Department of Health (RI DoH) under the USEPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule or UCMR (EPA, 2004) found no evidence of perchlorate in the wells examined.
Because there are no known defense-related sources of perchlorate in Rhode Island, and firework use is heavily regulated, road flares are expected to be the only significant potential source of perchlorate to the environment in Rhode Island.
If flares containing perchlorate are being used near surface-water bodies or ground-water recharge areas, there is a potential for pollution. In Rhode Island, many households rely on surface water or water from shallow wells. Often, the wells or reservoirs are located in the immediate vicinity of roadways. For example, Routes 12 and 14 cut across the Scituate Reservoir, which provides drinking water for approximately 70% of all Rhode Islanders. Although the RI DoH study did not find evidence of perchlorate contamination in ground water, it did not explicitly investigate potential sources and pathways of perchlorate contamination near transportation corridors. An extensive literature search revealed that no regional or national information is available on perchlorate in runoff from transportation corridors. At this time, the risk of perchlorate pollution from use of flares in Rhode Island has not been assessed and the data needed to complete such an assessment do not exist. A need exists therefore, for a baseline investigation to assess the occurrence and distribution of perchlorate in roadway runoff. These data will provide the foundation and background data needed to evaluate the risk of surface-water (and ultimately ground-water) contamination from transportation sources.
The objectives of this project are:
· Identify the top ten (nighttime) traffic accident spots in RI (locations will be identified on basis of existing DOT traffic accident data). It is assumed that the highest frequency of safety flares use occurs at these locations.
· Complete a survey of flare use by emergency personnel (frequency and flare-handling practices).
· Investigate the local drainage system at the top ten accident locations, i.e. review DOT plans of existing BMPs or drainage structures. Based on these investigations, water-sampling locations will be identified.
· Collect water samples on periodic basis (e.g. during and after storms (“1st flush”), snow melt, and during other periods of flow).
· Analyze water samples for perchlorate.
· Develop perchlorate mass flux model (if perchlorate contamination is significant, i.e. ClO4- > 4 ppb) and evaluate the potential risk of water pollution associated with perchlorate.
This project benefits the transportation community, water-quality practitioners, and the public in the following ways:
· Public relations: Preventive action geared towards the prevention of water pollution problems are very well received by the public. Also, because this study appears to be the first of its kind (at least in Rhode Island), it could serve as a model for future studies elsewhere.
· Education: Cooperation between RIDOT practitioners, Town engineers, water-quality experts, and URI researchers exposes all partners to transportation and water quality related problems. This will enhance communication among these entities and will maximize throughful, informed decision making when transportation issues seemingly collide with water-quality concerns.
Highway
Perchlorate in common highway safety flares is a potentially significant source of water contamination. For example, as much as 240,000 gallons of water could be contaminated to 4 µg/L (the California Action Level) by a single unburned flare. The US Environmental Protection Agency is considering adoption of a safe drinking water maximum contaminant level for perchlorate, following epidemiological evidence of adverse health effects associated with perchlorate exposure. The potential impact of perchlorate in highway runoff on surface- and ground-water quality in Rhode Island has not been assessed, but is of particular concern in a state where 70% of the population relies on a surface-water reservoir that is traversed by two major state roads. This study will provide a baseline assessment of potential perchlorate contamination by completing a field study of perchlorate concentrations in highway runoff at the top ten nighttime accident locations in Rhode Island. Risks to water resources from flare use will be identified and provide the foundation for development of flare-handling procedures that will minimize potential future impact.
1. Complete pre-fieldwork survey of accident locations and flare use practices. Existing RIDOT and State Police accident data will be used to identify the highest accident frequency locations in the State. For obvious reasons, flares are most likely to be used at night and at poorly illuminated accident locations. Therefore, we will narrow our site search to nighttime accident locations and will exclude well-illuminated accidents locations. The sites identified during the database search will be verified in the field to ensure that the illumination conditions at these locations indeed favor flare use and that roadway runoff can be sampled in a safe manner. The Town of Narragansett Engineer, M. Zevelia, will assist us in the pre-fieldwork site survey. Mr. Zevilia has worked with the RI DOT in the past and is familiar with the accident database system. Michael Sprague, of RIDOT, has already compiled the necessary data from the accident database. The PI’s (or eligible surrogates) will be required to complete an open-record request in order to obtain copies of the accident reports.
In addition, an information survey will be conducted to assess current flare use practices at these locations. A questionnaire will be at the center of this survey. The questionnaire will address emergency responders (police and sheriffs departments, highway patrols, ambulance services, and tow truck companies serving the accidents spots) and will include questions regarding the type of flares used, frequency of use, and handling procedures. Because responding to these questionnaires will be an extra burden on the police force, we will make this process as simple and short as possible (e.g. by sending a student to the appropriate police stations to help collect the flare use data records).
Flare purchase statistics (via State/Local Government purchasing budgets and/or commercial purchasing statistics) will also be collected to develop an estimate of the number of flares potentially used in the State each year.
2. Identify sampling locations and collect site information. Ten surface-water sampling locations will be identified on the basis of the information gathered during task 1. The sites will be cataloged along with drainage system characteristics for each site including receiving watershed, flood zone designation, existing drainage structures (i.e. dry wells, infiltration devices/galleries) and presence of preferential pathways to nearby surface-water bodies. Known well locations will be mapped, but not sampled initially. Sampling well water may be carried out if surface water was found to contain elevated ClO4- concentrations (assuming access to wells can be obtained).
3. Analytical Method Refinement. Our existing ion chromatograph (Dionex Inc.) will be upgraded to permit analysis of perchlorate. A laboratory quality control protocol (according to USEPA Method 314.0) will be completed to define the quality of the perchlorate data generated.
Fieldwork and Laboratory Analyses. Runoff samples will be collected from each sampling site over the course of a 9-month period. Sampling will be completed under a variety of flow conditions at the road runoff structure including “first flush” when maximum concentrations are expected. Samples will also be collected from associated receiving surface waters and from several control sites not associated with roadway runoff to obtain background water-quality data. Some sampling events will be carried out independent of recent flare use at the site to capture temporal variations in runoff water quality. Whenever possible, however, we will collect runoff samples during a storm that follows a confirmed flare use at the test sites. It is possible that flare use may not be consistently recorded on accident reports and that flare use at a given location may vary. Repeated sampling over the course of the 9-month sampling period will capture runoff under a variety of conditions to identify the range of concentrations that may exist. Sample flare burns under controlled conditions will also be completed to evaluate the potential for leaching from a burned flare under field conditions. .
Climatologically data for a particular sample event (e.g. amount and intensity of rainfall) will obtained from the National Weather Service website (nearest gageing station). Samples will be collected following standard water-quality sampling protocols. Field measurements will include discharge rate, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and electrical conductance. Samples will be collected for major anion (chloride, nitrate, sulfate, bicarbonate), major cation (sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium), selected metals (copper, zinc, iron) and perchlorate analysis. Laboratory analyses will include ion chromatography for major anions, major cations and perchlorate, and ion selective electrodes for selected metals (Cu, Zn; assuming no interference from other compounds in solution). US EPA Method 314.0 will be used for perchlorate analysis.
4. Data Analysis. We will analyze data for spatial and temporal distribution of detectable perchlorate. If significant perchlorate is detected (> 4 ppb), a mass flux model will be developed to estimate the loading of perchlorate at each site. This information will form the basis for a baseline evaluation of perchlorate contamination risk from roadway runoff at each site.
5. Dissemination of Results/Information Transfer. The results of this research will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations at the URITC and national/international conferences as well as by creating a project dedicated website. Data from the sampling sites will be incorporated into GeoInfoDB, a relational database that includes subsurface, geologic and hydrgeochemical data developed through URITC, RIDOT and RI Water Resources Center funding.
The start date is January 2005. A first interim report will be submitted to URI TC six months after the start date. Another interim reports will be submitted six months later. A final written and oral report to US DOT personnel and/or URITC will be submitted at the end of the funding period.
$121,160.00
One graduate and one undergraduate student will work on this project. We anticipate accepting a Master’s student for the 2004-2005 academic year who will work on this research project for their thesis research. An undergraduate student will have the opportunity to work as an integral part of the research team, as part of a capstone research experience.
A literature search of the Transportation Research Board Data Base and other databases confirmed that currently no study such as the one proposed herein has been publicized. A preliminary study of ground water samples from 9 public supply wells was conducted by the RI Department of Health (RI DoH) under the USEPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule or UCMR (EPA, 2004). Although RI DoH did not find evidence of perchlorate in the 9 wells examined, the study did not explicitly investigate potential sources and pathways of perchlorate contamination near transportation corridors.
The results of this study may therefore provide a better understanding and the means to enhance the water quality near transportation corridors. In addition, this study may affect or benefit ongoing research projects and efforts in the area of water quality management and pollution control. The expected results will have important implications for scientist, regulators, and professional in the area of transportation and pollution control. It will help decision makers nationwide to form an educated argument either for or against restricting flare use and should increase the public awareness about environmental efforts in the transportation community.
The proposed project complements Professor Veeger’s research in the area of water resources management and protection. The proposed project also complements Professor Boving’s ongoing research of non-point source pollution and its abatement. Lessons learned from the PI’s previous projects will benefit this proposed research effort.
The results of this research will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations at the URITC and national/international conferences as well as by creating a project dedicated website. Data from the sampling sites will be incorporated into GeoInfoDB, a relational database that includes subsurface, geologic and hydrgeochemical data developed through URITC, RIDOT and RI Water Resources Center funding.
This project benefits the transportation community, water-quality practitioners, and the public in the following ways:
· Public relations: Preventive action geared towards the prevention of water pollution problems are very well received by the public. Also, because this study appears to be the first of its kind (at least in Rhode Island), it could serve as a model for future studies elsewhere.
· Education: Cooperation between RIDOT practitioners, Town engineers, water-quality experts, and URI researchers exposes all partners to transportation and water quality related problems. This will enhance communication among these entities and will maximize throughful, informed decision making when transportation issues seemingly collide with water-quality concerns.
perchlorate flares surface water Rhode Island water quality