Toxic chemicals running off roads

News in Science - Toxic chemicals running off roads - :

"Ball says the discovery of new pollutants on roads like PAHs has implications for authorities, which already have their hands full treating stormwater pollution.

'It expands the number of contaminants that we have to manage,' he says.

And, he says, authorities may have to pay more attention to run-off from roads."

It's true, we haven't thought of studying the run off from roads and when you think aboout it, it's an obvious thing to do to enable us to get a better picture of contaminants entering our soil from road pollution. To build that kind of a picture enables us to create a safer environment and to get an idea as to what exactly modern transport is doing to our environement. I keep hearing that road expert a couple of years ago who was saying we change our whole lifestyle and city planning just to accommodate cars. This road run off study might help us modify some of that. In any case the findings will be fascinating! It would alos be interesting from the point of view we might find a better way to recycle this water around city areas too.