Application of some nanomaterials on pollutant removal in the porous asphalt

This research has been aimed to experimentally and numerically examine the effect of nanomaterials on pollutant removal in the porous asphalt in urban surface runoff. For this purpose, 19 samples including Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), Graphene Oxide (GO), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), and Copper Oxide (CuO) were applied to reduce pollution in surface runoff. Numerical models were simulated using laboratory data in COMSOL software, and the results of these methods were compared with the laboratory results. With a slight difference, the numerical and experimental results indicated the positive effect of adding ZnO and GO and the negative effect of adding CuO and TiO₂ to the porous asphalt in reducing the Sulfate (SO₄), Nitrate (NO₃), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) parameters in the polluted water outflow. Also, obtained results showed adding these Nano Particles (NPs) to the porous asphalt at concentrations of 6% and 8% had a beneficial effect and that adding NPs at concentrations of 2% had no effect in reducing the Lead (Pb) parameter dissolved in the polluted water outflow. Overall, the results indicated the positive effect of the ZnO-containing asphalt sample in absorbing and reducing all parameters of pollutants dissolved in the polluted water. The CuO-containing asphalt sample was also discovered to have produced opposite results or have nearly no effect on various parameters, increasing the amounts of pollutants in water outflow. In addition, the asphalt samples containing GO and TiO₂ also positively contributed to reducing certain pollution parameters.