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| Research Designed To Prevent Roadway Waste From Polluting Water Systems The grey-black, talcum-powder-fine mass of pollutants contains heavy metals and a large variety of other contaminants, most of it not biodegradable, said LSU associate professor of civil and environmental engineering John Sansalone. “It has been known for a long time that pollutants from storm runoff were as much a problem as pollutants that pour from the end of a pipe,” said Sansalone. “It’s just that nobody knew how to tackle the problem.”
What concerns Sansalone are the heavy metals—copper, lead, zinc, and cadmium—in the pollutants. “Once those get into the environment, they’re there forever.” Collecting The Contamination “We’ll get about 2,000 grams of matter—more than enough to fill up a quart milk carton—from a good rain from just under one-tenth of the length of the eastbound lanes of the City Park Lake bridge,” he said. That is only about 144 feet of road. Environmental Damage The layer of heavy metals in the bottom sediments can become toxic. In addition, when oxygen-demanding constituents degrade, they take the oxygen from the water, causing fish to suffocate. Not only are the pollutants a threat to the ecology, but the Environmental Protection Agency is also beginning to enforce rules concerning non-point pollution as part of its 1972 Clean Water Act. Although these prototypes may seem awkward and difficult to install, Sansalone said he foresees the day when devices like this will be part of the infrastructure. “If we are ever to achieve the goals of the Clean Water Act we have to start tackling non-point pollution. In fact, several years ago regulations were signed that deal with storm-water pollution—non-point pollution. As these regulations are enforced, this is going to become a bigger and bigger issue.” Recycled Roads? “These [contaminants from the roadways] are chemicals, and they may have a use down the road. But for now we have to treat them as hazardous materials,” Sansalone said. He is working with LSU chemist Frank Cartledge and University of New Orleans professor Marty Tittlebaum to seal them into concrete, which then might be used for roads and other civil engineering projects. Sansalone and Cartledge are conducting tests now to see if the constituents will leach out of the concrete over time. Sansalone said he prefers to call them “constituents” rather than “pollutants,” because “a pollutant is just a chemical that’s out of place.” A National Concern “They recognize what is happening to their precious water bodies, so they’re starting to take action. In other places in the country this is just beginning to catch on.” California, Oregon, and Washington are beginning to catch on now. In the past few months, Sansalone has visited the West Coast several times to consult with various boards and governmental bodies about non-point pollution, the magnitude of the problem, and how to deal with it. For states like Louisiana, Oregon, and Hawaii, which have a great number of elevated highways crossing water, Sansalone’s work holds the promise of cleaner water, healthier fish, and a stronger, more resilient ecosystem. Written by Ron Brown | University
Relations Related Links John Sansalone
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Recent
studies in Baton Rouge, Cincinnati, and New Orleans have revealed
that the storm runoff from 15 percent of the roads in these cities
yields more pollutants than are collected from the entire wastewater
systems of each urban area.
Sansalone
has similar prototypes in New Orleans, where I-10 crosses the 17th
Street Canal, and in Cincinnati, where he received his doctorate
in 1996. 
Another aspect of the problem is what to do with the mass of material
that is collected. One possibility is extraction and recycling of
the metals. 
