Approximately 1500 km (43%) of the strategic Scottish trunk road network drainage asset takes the form of Highway Filter Drains (HFDs). However, despite their popularity, they are prone to clogging, therefore they have an estimated operational life-cycle of ten-years. This research was undertaken to investigate the complex inter-relationship between catchment characteristics, road dynamics and the physical characteristics of the road to establish the key factors that govern the generation and spatial variability of Road-Deposited-Sediment (RDS). The aim being to establish the impact RDS Particle Size Distribution (PSD) has on clogging and the operational life-cycle of HFDs. The research adopted an integrated approach, incorporating: (i) a Field Study to investigate RDS PSD grading envelopes across the Scottish trunk road network, (ii) a HFD Field Survey (HFD-FS) to investigate the current condition of HFDs across a range of catchments, (iii) a HFD Field Study to establish whether, or not, graded stone PSD envelopes comply with specification requirements when first placed in the trench, (iv) 3 HFD Field Studies to assess the level of risk of system failure through evaluating the causes and quantifying the individual, cumulative and influencing factors which contribute to the evolution of clogging in HFDs, and (v) a Field Study utilising Ground Penetrating Radar data to explore why stratified (clogged) layers evolve within some HFDs. Based on the results of this research, design and maintenance procedures were then identified to improve the performance of HFDs. Results established that Scottish trunk roads operate under variable catchment characteristics and road dynamics, with the condition and specification of the road surface, volume of traffic, road geometry, number of running lanes and adjacent land use governing the generation and spatial variability of RDS. Five of the nine trunk road RDS PSD profiles shared a peak particle diameter of 425 μm, two had a peak of 600 μm, one had a peak of 1180 μm and one resulted in a peak of 2120 μm. Particles >1000 μm were mostly mineral or asphalt and it was shown that there is a direct link between the factors that govern the generation and spatial variability of RDS and those that govern the evolution of clogging and actual operational life-cycle of HFDs. The HFD-FS revealed that 69% were assigned Filter Drain Condition Index ratings of 3 or below, which identifies these as having exceeded the ten-year estimated operational life-cycle. 94% of those deemed to have reached the end of their operational life-cycle were over-the-edge (OTE) HFDs, which supports the assertion that pre-treatment would increase their operational life-cycle. Results also established that introducing a kerb-line and gully-pots or grass-strip between the road and the HFD significantly reduced the indices of particle size composition d50 and d90 and percentage of RDS retained at depths spanning 0 - 400 mm, compared to OTE HFDs with comparable catchment characteristics and road dynamics. Based on these results, the operational life-cycle of HFDs with a kerb-line and gully-pots and OTE HFDs with a grass-strip can be expected to exceed twenty-years, if catchment characteristics and road dynamics are representative of those in this study. This research also identified that compacting Type B graded stone with ‘heavy vibrating machinery’ during construction could potentially contribute to clogging. It was also established that HFD harrowing may exacerbate clogging because the process of disintegrating the cake-layer mobilises an otherwise rigid and compacted RDS mass and this is more likely to penetrate deeper into the HFD and inundate the HFD during a storm event. These findings indicate that current HFD construction and maintenance practice could have a detrimental impact on the effective operational life-cycle of HFDs. Overall, this research study has demonstrated that there are considerable uncertainties related to PSD grading envelopes and percentage of RDS migrating from roads to HFDs. It is clear therefore that one of the most notable findings of this research is that given the scale of strategic trunk road networks, assuming a single HFD operational life-cycle profile, for a trunk road or trunk road network, is highly unlikely to be representative of a HFD at the local level. It follows then that the widely accepted estimated ten-year operational life-cycle for HFDs, does not reflect the actual operational life-cycle of HFDs.

Corals are frequently exposed to elevated turbidity and deposited sediment caused from coastal construction, dredging, and/or beach renourishment. This study addresses the effects of turbidity and deposited sediment on the survival and growth of newly settled and 6-week-old Orbicella faveolata recruits and disentangles the effects of turbidity and deposited sediment. We conducted two experiments in which newly settled coral recruits were reared in one of ten different turbidity and deposited sediment treatments for five weeks (0 NTU/ 0 mg cm-2, 3.4 NTU/ 0 mg cm-2, 8.2 NTU/ 0 mg cm-2, 16 NTU/ 0 mg cm-2, 29.1 NTU/ 0 mg cm-2, 0 NTU/ 0 mg cm-2, 3.4 NTU/ 27.7 mg cm-2, 8.2 NTU/ 50 mg cm-2, 16 NTU/ 101 mg cm-2, 29.1 NTU/ 220 mg cm-2). The highest turbidity treatment in the absence of deposited sediment (29.1 NTU/ 0 mg cm-2) had the best survival, suggesting that turbidity in the absence of sediment is beneficial to coral recruits, as it decreases harmful light levels. However, when recruits were exposed to both turbidity and deposited sediment, representative of normal coastal construction conditions, high turbidity when coupled with deposited sediment (16 NTU/ 101 mg cm-2 and 29.1 NTU/ 220 mg cm-2) had negative effects on coral recruits. Based on the results from the first experiment, the experiment was repeated with six-week-old symbiotic recruits for two weeks to determine if the sensitivity to light and benefits of high turbidity were related to the presence of symbionts. Six-week-old recruits also had the highest survival in the highest turbidity treatment, suggesting that light sensitivity by coral recruits is not dependent on the presence of symbionts within the first six weeks post-settlement. While the low light associated with turbidity increases recruit survival, turbidity is a proxy for deposited sediment, which has negative effects on coral recruits. Based on the results from this study, regulations should prevent turbidity from exceeding 8.2 NTU to prevent excessive deposited sediment on coral reefs, and its deleterious effects on corals.

In this Dissertation, systematic work has been carried out to study the road-deposited sediment and its adsorbed pollutants from a stormwater pollution perspective. Solid-phase concentration, surface load, source apportionment, risk assessment, and desorption dynamics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and/or heavy metals in road-deposited sediments (RDS) were investigated. In order to provide data to assist potential strategies of stormwater pollution mitigation and integrated catchment management to minimise the adverse impacts of RDS adsorbed pollutants on stormwawter quality, the following specific topics were addressed. ⑴ The influences of traffic load and antecedent dry-weather period on pollution level and ecological risk of heavy metals in RDS were analyzed. ⑵ The build-up dynamics and chemical fractionation of metals were determined. ⑶ The potential source contributions and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in size-fractionated RDS were firstly determined by a Principal component analysis - Multiple linear regression receptor model. ⑷ The qualitative and quantitative source apportionments of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were subsequently investigated through a combined qualitative Molecular Diagnostic Ratio and quantitative Positive Matrix Factorization source apportionment with an extended data set. ⑸ The exposure risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were evaluated and calculated by incremental lifetime cancer risk models. ⑹ Then, a novel ecological risk assessment approach to the RDS adsorbed toxic substances was developed, which was explored exclusively for the study of RDS for a water pollution aspect. ⑺ Finally, the effects of rainwater, major wastewater constituents of dissolved organic matter and surfactant on the leaching of heavy metals from RDS were carried out.