Environmental ‘fate-transport-toxicity’ modeling of highway construction and repair materials on surface and ground waters — The project approaches

Highway construction and repair (C&R) materials have been identified as a non-point source of environmental pollution. Constituents of highway materials can migrate from roadways to the surrounding environment, presenting a potential pollution source. The main ‘Fate-Transport-Toxicity’ (i.e. FTT) mechanisms involve leaching of toxic organic and inorganic constituents and their ultimate degradation (e.g. physical, chemical and microbial) and transport to surface and/or ground waters. The use of C&R materials has recently increased in types, volumes, and chemical complexity. Increased utilization of solid waste materials (SWMs) has raised additional concerns that have led to a search for a unified approach to evaluate the potential for environmental contamination due to leachates from highway C&R materials. There is a clear need to integrate and unify testing and evaluation approaches that will: Allow greater understanding of the fundamental leaching behavior of such SWMs, and Help model the FTT of such C&R materials.