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Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering >> 2017, Volume 11, Issue 1 doi: 10.1007/s11709-016-0366-6

Managing airport stormwater containing deicers: challenges and opportunities

. Smart & Green Infrastructure Group, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-2910, USA.. SMQ Airport Services, 26757 Haverhill Drive, Lutz FL 33559-8509, USA.. Kent State University, 1400 Lefton Esplanade, Kent OH 44242, USA.. Washington Stormwater Center, Washington State University, Puyallup WA 98371, USA.. Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman MT 59717, USA

Accepted: 2016-11-09 Available online: 2017-02-27

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Abstract

Stormwater runoff at airports is a significant and costly issue, especially for the stormwater laden with deicing contaminants of high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and aquatic toxicity. To reduce the loading of deicing constituents in stormwater and to manage the increasing pressure of tightening regulations, identifying fate and transport and evaluating environmental risks of deicing stormwater are of critical importance. In this review, the regulatory development of airport deicing stormwater management was first discussed, along with the milestone publication. The deicer usage and fugitive losses can be reduced and the amount of deicer collected can be increased by having a better understanding of the fate and transport of deicing constituents in stormwater. As such, an overview and evaluation of the constituents of concern in deicers were provided to support the assessment of environmental impacts and mitigation recommendations. The state of knowledge of airport deicing stormwater management was then reviewed, which needs to be synthesized into a national guidance document. A guidebook and a decision tool for airports were proposed to adopt specific practical stormwater management strategies while balancing their priorities in environmental, economic, and social values against operational constraints. These challenges pose great opportunities to improve the current practices of airport deicing stormwater management.

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