By Jenée Colton

Science SeminarNovember 2019Water and Land Resources Division

Contaminants in Artificial Turf Stormwater Runoff: Testing an Alternative to Crumb Rubber

Photo: Chris Santella

What is Artificial Turf?

Artificial Turf Infill

Photo: Drguttorm under Creative Commons license

Photo: Jenee Colton, Ravensdale Field

Crumb Rubber Infill

• Documented release of metals to stormwater (zinc)

• Requires Enhanced Treatment of stormwater runoff (a sand filter to remove metals)

Photo: ImagesofElements.com

New fields run $1.6-1.8 million.Treatment system ~ $200,000.

King County Parks

Objectives:• Migrate away from

crumb rubber (CR)• Improve water quality• Stormwater permit

variance

Photo: Ravensdale Field, Jenée Colton

King County regulates…King County

ParksStormwater Services

Science!!

Stormwater Services

Objectives: • Does TPE need enhanced

stormwater treatment?• Is stormwater from TPE

cleaner than CR?• Avoid regrettable substitute

Photo: TPE samples,Jenée Colton

THE STUDY

Used Infill Locations

• Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Protocol (SPLP)

• Laboratory Simulation• Worst case

pH = 5.018 hours @

Analyze Liquid

[Chemical]---------------

Lowest WQSWQS Ratio =

Laboratory Testing

SPLP test (New Infills)

Rinsate

Testing

Rinse 1st

Leachate

For Used Infills Added Step:

RinsedInfillTo

SPLP

Analyze

Chemicals Tested

1411036 Volatile

64 Semivolatile

Metals

# D

etec

ted

0

2

4

6

8

10

New Crumb Rubber New TPE

VOCs SVOCs

9 6 4 7

2

#1Findings

New

Low

est W

QS

Rat

io

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Arsenic Copper Zinc Aniline

Used New Used

354

TPE Crumb Rubber

ArsenicNot Detected

#2

Findings

Lowest WQ Standard

Findings

CopperZinc

4-meth

yl 2-p

entan

one

m,p-xylen

e

toluene

Leac

hate

Con

cent

ratio

n ug

/L

0

25

50

5000

10000

New Crumb Rubber Used Crumb Rubber

#3

Findings

What about those

rinsates?

Photo: Aliazimi

Emissions

Resettling

Mixing

ParticleResuspension

WindSupplemental Findings

Wind

Local Dusts Settle on

Fields

NW School (T

PE-4)

Steve C

ox (CR-6)

Raven

sdale

(CR-10

)

WQS

Exc

eeda

nce

Ratio

0

20

40

60Aluminum Arsenic Copper Iron Zinc

Local Sources

Lowest WQS

Rinsates

Urban RuralDuwamish Valley

URBAN

RURAL

Annual Air Deposition

Duwamish Valley RuralUrban

Data from Colton et al. (2011)

Supplemental Finding

Local sources may contribute more contamination to runoff than infills.

Happy Endings

TPE better than crumb rubber.No enhanced treatment needed.

KC Parks will receive permit variance.

YAYYYYYYYY!!!

…and there was much rejoicing

Acknowledgements

• TJ Davis, King County Parks• Curt Crawford, Mark Wilgus, David Batts, King County Stormwater• Fritz Grothkopp and Environmental Lab metals and organics units• Specialty Analytical, Clackamas, OR• ARI, Inc., Tukwila, WA• Northwest School, Seattle, WA• Deb Lester, WLRD Science Section, TCA Supervisor• Daira Melendez, King County Intern

Thank you.Jenée Colton, Water Quality Planner III jenee.colton@kingcounty.gov, 206-477-4075Water and Land Resources DivisionKing County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

Tacoma Smelter Arsenic Plume

WA Dept. of Ecology Dirt Alert website

New

Low

est W

QS

Rat

io

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Arsenic Copper Zinc Aniline

Used New Used

354

TPE Crumb Rubber

Regional BackgroundArsenic

#2

Findings