Characterization of atmospheric deposition and runoff water in a small suburban catchment

A study has been carried out as part of the mission assigned to IRSTV (Research Institute of Urban Sciences and Techniques), a federative research network supported by the Loire Valley Region, with the objective of characterizing atmospheric deposition, roof runoff and street runoff in a small (31 ha) suburban catchment in Nantes equipped with a separate sewer system. Trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides were investigated. The characterization of atmospheric deposition reveals a high variability of trace metal concentrations, which could not be explained by rainfall characteristics. The relative abundance order of the metals was as follows: Zn > Cu > Cr approximate to Ni > Cd. Organic pollutants, i.e. PAHs and pesticides, were only rarely detected in the atmospheric deposition. Zn and Pb appear to be the major contaminants in runoff water, whereas the concentrations of Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, PAHs and pesticides tend to remain low. On the whole, concentrations were similar to the lowest range reported in the literature. According to statutory thresholds, runoff water quality is poor because of the high Pb and Zn concentrations. Based on scanning electron microscopy observations, atmospheric particles do not apparently differ from runoff particles, with a predominance of pollen, bacteria and particles resulting from soil erosion. Spherical organic particles produced during fuel combustion have also been observed.