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Dr. Buddhi Wijesiri
Queensland University of Technology

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0 Environmental Modelling
0 Stormwater
0 Water Quality
0 cities and urban assessment
0 Water and Climate change

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Journal article
Published: 26 June 2021 in Water Research
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The adsorption-desorption behaviour of heavy metals in aquatic environments is complex and the processes are regulated by the continuous interactions between water and sediments. This study provides a quantitative understanding of the effects of nutrients and key water and sediment properties on the adsorption-desorption behaviour of heavy metals in riverine and estuarine environments. The influence levels of the environmental factors were determined as conditional regression coefficients. The research outcomes indicate that the mineralogical composition of sediments, which influence other sediment properties, such as specific surface area and cation exchange capacity, play the most important role in the adsorption and desorption of heavy metals. It was found that particulate organic matter is the most influential nutrient in heavy metals adsorption in the riverine environment, while particulate phosphorus is more important under estuarine conditions. Dissolved nutrients do not exert a significant positive effect on the release of heavy metals in the riverine area, whilst dissolved phosphorus increases the transfer of specific metals from sediments to the overlying water under estuarine conditions. Furthermore, the positive interdependencies between marine-related ions and the release of most heavy metals in the riverine and estuarine environments indicate an increase in the mobility of heavy metals as a result of cation exchange reactions.

ACS Style

Lorena S. Miranda; Buddhi Wijesiri; Godwin A. Ayoko; Prasanna Egodawatta; Ashantha Goonetilleke. WATER-SEDIMENT INTERACTIONS AND MOBILITY OF HEAVY METALS IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS. Water Research 2021, 202, 117386 .

AMA Style

Lorena S. Miranda, Buddhi Wijesiri, Godwin A. Ayoko, Prasanna Egodawatta, Ashantha Goonetilleke. WATER-SEDIMENT INTERACTIONS AND MOBILITY OF HEAVY METALS IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS. Water Research. 2021; 202 ():117386.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorena S. Miranda; Buddhi Wijesiri; Godwin A. Ayoko; Prasanna Egodawatta; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2021. "WATER-SEDIMENT INTERACTIONS AND MOBILITY OF HEAVY METALS IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS." Water Research 202, no. : 117386.

Journal article
Published: 20 December 2020 in Journal of Hazardous Materials
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Urban road build-up solids contain toxic metals posing potential risks to human health. Management of human health risks arising from these metals is critical in urban areas. This study collected solids build-up data from 16 study sites with various land use and traffic characteristics. Source quantification was conducted using PCA/APCS receptor model. It was found that soil and asphalt wear are the largest contributors (69.43%) to risk and mainly contribute Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn and Pb to build-up solids. Brake wear is the second largest contributor accounting for 17.20% and contributes Cd and Cu. Tyre wear is the third major contributor (11.38%) and it primarily contributes Ni, Zn and Cr. Mathematical equations were fitted to estimate the risk against daily traffic volume and land use fractions, and the uncertainty analysis highlighted that risk assessment should account for the variability in metal concentrations rather than a point value of concentrations at a given time and space. Based on source quantification and risk assessment, an integrated risk management model was developed to manage human health risks from toxic metals in build-up solids. This risk model provides guidance for urban planning and land use development to mitigate risk arising from urban road deposited solids.

ACS Style

Yukun Ma; Sandya Mummullage; Buddhi Wijesiri; Prasanna Egodawatta; James McGree; Godwin A. Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Source quantification and risk assessment as a foundation for risk management of metals in urban road deposited solids. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2020, 408, 124912 .

AMA Style

Yukun Ma, Sandya Mummullage, Buddhi Wijesiri, Prasanna Egodawatta, James McGree, Godwin A. Ayoko, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Source quantification and risk assessment as a foundation for risk management of metals in urban road deposited solids. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2020; 408 ():124912.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yukun Ma; Sandya Mummullage; Buddhi Wijesiri; Prasanna Egodawatta; James McGree; Godwin A. Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "Source quantification and risk assessment as a foundation for risk management of metals in urban road deposited solids." Journal of Hazardous Materials 408, no. : 124912.

Short communication
Published: 15 December 2020 in Ecological Engineering
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Land use management plays a key role in mitigating urban river pollution. Past research has addressed how primary land uses influence river water and sediment quality, but has given limited attention to the subdivision of primary land uses to a secondary level, limiting the accurate identification of potential sources of pollutants. The current study, using Bayesian Networks, investigated how the hierarchical structure of land use can be employed to accurately characterise the pollution of sediments in two rivers in China and Australia. It was found that the primary land uses are a weak determinant of potential sources of metals, nutrients, and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). However, secondary land uses provide higher accuracy in determining pollutant sources. The study highlighted that the lack of data to enable the subdivision of land uses can constrain informed decision making for the mitigation of urban water pollution.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Ayomi Jayarathne; Godfred Duodu; Godwin A. Ayoko; Lan Chen; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Influence of the hierarchical structure of land use on metals, nutrients and organochlorine pesticides in urban river sediments. Ecological Engineering 2020, 159, 106123 .

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, An Liu, Ayomi Jayarathne, Godfred Duodu, Godwin A. Ayoko, Lan Chen, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Influence of the hierarchical structure of land use on metals, nutrients and organochlorine pesticides in urban river sediments. Ecological Engineering. 2020; 159 ():106123.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Ayomi Jayarathne; Godfred Duodu; Godwin A. Ayoko; Lan Chen; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "Influence of the hierarchical structure of land use on metals, nutrients and organochlorine pesticides in urban river sediments." Ecological Engineering 159, no. : 106123.

Review
Published: 14 December 2020 in Sustainability
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Water scarcity, which is exacerbated by climate change, is a major challenge to ensure human well-being. Therefore, it is equally important to protect conventional water resources from degradation and at the same time to identify cost-effective alternatives with a low carbon footprint. In this regard, stormwater plays a key role as it is a largely underutilised resource for both potable and non-potable use. However, stormwater carries substantial loads of pollutants to receiving waters such as rivers. Unfortunately, the lack of comprehensive stormwater quality modelling strategies, which account for the effects of climate change, constrains the formulation of effective measures to improve the quality of stormwater. Currently, there is a significant knowledge gap in the merging of stormwater quality modelling and climate modelling. This paper critically reviews current stormwater quality modelling approaches (quantity and quality) and the role of climate modelling outputs in stormwater quality modelling. This is followed by the presentation of a robust framework to integrate the impacts of climate change with stormwater quality models.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; Erick Bandala; An Liu; Ashantha Goonetilleke. A Framework for Stormwater Quality Modelling under the Effects of Climate Change to Enhance Reuse. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10463 .

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, Erick Bandala, An Liu, Ashantha Goonetilleke. A Framework for Stormwater Quality Modelling under the Effects of Climate Change to Enhance Reuse. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10463.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; Erick Bandala; An Liu; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "A Framework for Stormwater Quality Modelling under the Effects of Climate Change to Enhance Reuse." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10463.

Short communication
Published: 23 November 2020 in Utilities Policy
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Urban and rural populations face disparities in gender equality as well as access to safe drinking water, which have deleterious consequences for their well-being. Past studies highlight interdependencies between gender equality and sustainable water management, but they fail to account for effects of shifting urban and rural populations. We find that improved gender equality and access to safe drinking water are likely to persist within urban populations, and empowering women in urban areas could increase access to safe drinking water. Our research aims to enhance the understanding of sustainable provision of water under the circumstances of rapid urbanisation and climate change.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; Akash Hettiarachchi. How gender disparities in urban and rural areas influence access to safe drinking water. Utilities Policy 2020, 68, 101141 .

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, Akash Hettiarachchi. How gender disparities in urban and rural areas influence access to safe drinking water. Utilities Policy. 2020; 68 ():101141.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; Akash Hettiarachchi. 2020. "How gender disparities in urban and rural areas influence access to safe drinking water." Utilities Policy 68, no. : 101141.

Journal article
Published: 28 July 2020 in Journal of Water Process Engineering
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The design of vertical subsurface flow (VSSF) constructed wetlands (CWs) uses kinetic models to calculate the area based on the kinetic reaction rate constant (k) specific to local environmental conditions and target pollutants. Currently, kinetic modelling does not fully account for the impact of the hydraulic loading rate (HLR), which influences the wetland performance. This study used four experimental VSSF CWs operated at HLRs of 5, 10, 20 and 40 cm/day to investigate the applicability of three first order kinetic models combining plug-flow and continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) flow patterns. The target pollutants were BOD5, NH4+ and NO3-. For each pollutant, estimated k values varied between different HLRs and between plug flow and CSTR models. Assessment of uncertainty in kinetic modelling showed that all three models exhibit a similar trend in predicting the concentrations of BOD5 and NH4+ at 5–20 cm/day HLRs. A substantial removal of BOD5 (>88 %) and NH4+ (>70 %) were found for the investigated HLRs, although NO3- removal was not satisfactory. The HLR had a positive impact on mass removal rates (MRRs) for BOD5 and NH4+. Accordingly, 20 cm/day was deemed as the highest viable HLR for designing effective VSSF wetlands for the removal of BOD5 and NH4+. All three models can be employed to design VSSF wetlands at 20 cm/day HLR to treat BOD5 using k values of 0.352 (k-C), 0.380 (k-C*) and 0.996 (CSTR) m/day and to treat NH4+ using k values of 0.170 (k-C), 0.173 (k-C*) and 0.273 (CSTR) m/day.

ACS Style

G.M.P.R. Weerakoon; K.B.S.N. Jinadasa; Jagath Manatunge; Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Kinetic modelling and performance evaluation of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands in tropics. Journal of Water Process Engineering 2020, 38, 101539 .

AMA Style

G.M.P.R. Weerakoon, K.B.S.N. Jinadasa, Jagath Manatunge, Buddhi Wijesiri, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Kinetic modelling and performance evaluation of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands in tropics. Journal of Water Process Engineering. 2020; 38 ():101539.

Chicago/Turabian Style

G.M.P.R. Weerakoon; K.B.S.N. Jinadasa; Jagath Manatunge; Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "Kinetic modelling and performance evaluation of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands in tropics." Journal of Water Process Engineering 38, no. : 101539.

Journal article
Published: 18 June 2020 in Journal of Environmental Sciences
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The deposition and the re-suspension of particulate matter (PM) in urban areas are the key processes that contribute not only to stormwater pollution, but also to air pollution. However, investigation of the deposition and the re-suspension of PM is challenging because of the difficulties in distinguishing between the resuspended and the deposited PM. This study created two Bayesian Networks (BN) models to explore the deposition and the re-suspension of PM as well as the important influential factors. The outcomes of BN modelling revealed that deposition and re-suspension of PM10 occurred under both, high-traffic and low-traffic conditions, and the re-suspension of PM2.5 occurred under low-traffic conditions. The deposition of PM10 under low-volume traffic condition is 1.6 times higher than under high-volume traffic condition, which is attributed to the decrease in PM10 caused by relatively higher turbulence under high-volume traffic conditions. PM10 is more easily resuspended from road surfaces compared to PM2.5 as the particles which larger than the thickness of the laminar airflow over the road surface are more easily removed from road surfaces. The increase in wind speed contributes to the increase in PM build-up by transporting particulates from roadside areas to the road surfaces and the airborne PM2.5 and PM10 increases with the increase in relative humidity. The study outcomes provide a step improvement in the understanding of the transfer processes of PM2.5 and PM10 between atmosphere and urban road surfaces, which in turn will contribute to the effective design of mitigation measures for urban stormwater and air pollution.

ACS Style

Tong Wei; Buddhi Wijesiri; Yingxia Li; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Particulate matter exchange between atmosphere and roads surfaces in urban areas. Journal of Environmental Sciences 2020, 98, 118 -123.

AMA Style

Tong Wei, Buddhi Wijesiri, Yingxia Li, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Particulate matter exchange between atmosphere and roads surfaces in urban areas. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 2020; 98 ():118-123.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tong Wei; Buddhi Wijesiri; Yingxia Li; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "Particulate matter exchange between atmosphere and roads surfaces in urban areas." Journal of Environmental Sciences 98, no. : 118-123.

Journal article
Published: 02 June 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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Rivers are regarded as sinks and pathways of plastic pollutants from terrestrial environments to various other aquatic systems such as lakes and oceans. Although extensive research has been conducted in recent years on microplastic pollution in river sediments, knowledge on the relationships between potential influential factors such as catchment characteristics and sediment properties, and microplastics occurrence in river sediments, is still considered an under-researched area. This study evaluated the influence of land use, population, and sediment particle size on the presence of microplastics abundance and types. Based on a Bayesian Network modelling approach to characterise the correlations between influencing factors and microplastics occurrence, it was evident that microplastics type had a positive correlation with different land use types and population. Catchment characteristics were found to play a more important role in influencing microplastics type than microplastics concentration. A statistically significant positive relationship was observed between microplastics concentration and clay particles which suggested that the occurrence of microplastics in sediments can be impacted by the presence of clay particles.

ACS Style

Beibei He; Buddhi Wijesiri; Godwin A. Ayoko; Prasanna Egodawatta; Llew Rintoul; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Influential factors on microplastics occurrence in river sediments. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 738, 139901 .

AMA Style

Beibei He, Buddhi Wijesiri, Godwin A. Ayoko, Prasanna Egodawatta, Llew Rintoul, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Influential factors on microplastics occurrence in river sediments. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 738 ():139901.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beibei He; Buddhi Wijesiri; Godwin A. Ayoko; Prasanna Egodawatta; Llew Rintoul; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "Influential factors on microplastics occurrence in river sediments." Science of The Total Environment 738, no. : 139901.

Journal article
Published: 30 March 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Stormwater is a largely under-utilised resource available to alleviate water shortages in urban areas. However, stormwater needs treatment before use. Further, projected changes to rainfall patterns due to global warming will alter stormwater quality characteristics. This study projects potential changes to the primary source of stormwater degradation, namely, particulates that transport the largest fraction of toxic pollutants in stormwater. The results show that 1.5 °C and 2 °C warming can influence the increase in toxic pollutant loads (heavy metals) by more than 90% on urban surfaces and by nearly 50% in stormwater runoff. Stormwater quality will be further degraded under the upper limit of the projected changes to dry periods and precipitation in the context of Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5. Compared to the present day, results indicate that cities in the future will face more challenging tasks in designing effective measures to address increasingly complex stormwater quality responses to different combinations of dry and wet weather conditions. Therefore, this study urges the need for achieving a paradigm shift in the accuracy of stormwater quality predictions by incorporating the effects of changing weather patterns into the current practice of stormwater quality modelling, and thereby to optimise urban stormwater management.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Impact of global warming on urban stormwater quality: From the perspective of an alternative water resource. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 262, 121330 .

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, An Liu, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Impact of global warming on urban stormwater quality: From the perspective of an alternative water resource. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 262 ():121330.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "Impact of global warming on urban stormwater quality: From the perspective of an alternative water resource." Journal of Cleaner Production 262, no. : 121330.

Journal article
Published: 17 February 2020 in Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
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Though abundant studies have targeted the sorption of Cr(VI) and As(V) anions by organic polymers or magnetic metal oxides, there is no research literature on the sorption characteristics of Cr(VI) and As(V) by thiourea-formaldehyde resin (TF) and its magnetic derivative (MTF). TF resin is a strong chelating agent, which has several practical applications. This paper reports on the removal of Cr(VI) and As(V) oxoanions by TF and MTF sorbents. The sorbents were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, zetametry, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and differential light scattering (DLS). The synergistic influence of magnetite incorporation and ultrasonic power on sorption kinetics, isotherms, and oxoanion desorption were investigated, including the analysis of the uncertainty in the study results. The relationship between kinetic and equilibrium constants of the two sorbents under normal shaking and ultrasound shaking was analysed. Ultrasound power improved the mass transfer and makes the sorption ultra-fast while magnetite enhanced the sorption capacity. The MTF particles sorbed 4.28 and 1.97 mmol g−1 of Cr(VI) and As(V), respectively, under optimum conditions. Further, desorption kinetics and efficiency of Cr(VI) and As(V) were estimated using normal shaking and ultrasonic agitation. Ultrasound power reduced the time and the concentration of NaCl required for the stabilization of desorption efficiency.

ACS Style

Khalid Z. Elwakeel; Ahmed Shahat; Abdullah S. Al-Bogami; Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. The synergistic effect of ultrasound power and magnetite incorporation on the sorption/desorption behavior of Cr(VI) and As(V) oxoanions in an aqueous system. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2020, 569, 76 -88.

AMA Style

Khalid Z. Elwakeel, Ahmed Shahat, Abdullah S. Al-Bogami, Buddhi Wijesiri, Ashantha Goonetilleke. The synergistic effect of ultrasound power and magnetite incorporation on the sorption/desorption behavior of Cr(VI) and As(V) oxoanions in an aqueous system. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 2020; 569 ():76-88.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Khalid Z. Elwakeel; Ahmed Shahat; Abdullah S. Al-Bogami; Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "The synergistic effect of ultrasound power and magnetite incorporation on the sorption/desorption behavior of Cr(VI) and As(V) oxoanions in an aqueous system." Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 569, no. : 76-88.

Book
Published: 01 January 2020 in Governance of Urban Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture
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This book discusses the physicochemical changes (transformations) that metals deposited on urban road surfaces undergo during dry weather periods, in order to provide insights into their potential impacts on stormwater quality. Based on extensive field experiments, and laboratory and data analyses, it examines transformation characteristics of metals with respect to the particle size of road dust, antecedent dry days and land uses. Further, it proposes a new risk-assessment methodology, improving the original human health-risk indices based on the transformation characteristics and potential bioavailability of metals in order to evaluate the risks posed by metals in stormwater. This book is of interest to researchers and decision-makers developing appropriate pollution mitigation measures to enhance the quality of stormwater, targeting the effective reuse of stormwater in urban areas.

ACS Style

Ayomi Jayarathne; Buddhi Wijesiri; Prasanna Egodawatta; Godwin A Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Transformation Processes of Metals in Urban Road Dust. Governance of Urban Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Ayomi Jayarathne, Buddhi Wijesiri, Prasanna Egodawatta, Godwin A Ayoko, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Transformation Processes of Metals in Urban Road Dust. Governance of Urban Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture. 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ayomi Jayarathne; Buddhi Wijesiri; Prasanna Egodawatta; Godwin A Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2020. "Transformation Processes of Metals in Urban Road Dust." Governance of Urban Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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Nitrate is a critical substance that determines the prevailing redox conditions in groundwater, and in turn the behaviour of Uranium (U). Therefore, the excessive use of nitrate-fertiliser in agricultural catchments could exert a significant influence on U mobilisation. This is a significant issue in catchments, where groundwater resources are increasingly being exploited for drinking water production. Past studies on U mobility in groundwater have considered individual hydro-geochemical factors influencing U concentrations, rather than as a single system with multiple factors. This research study investigated nitrate-dependent U mobility within a catchment in Brazil, where a range of intensive agricultural activities are undertaken and the giant Guarani aquifer is located. The study used direct measurements of groundwater redox conditions and other hydro-geochemical parameters. The research outcomes indicated that U could have two hydro-geochemical systems based on positive and negative redox potential of groundwater. The pH, HCO3- and temperature pose the largest influence, respectively, on U mobilisation, and these impacts are greater in agricultural lands than urban areas. Acidic and less reducing (positive redox) groundwater across the aquifer and basic and highly reducing (negative redox) groundwater in agricultural areas make U more mobile. The alkalinity increases U mobility in less reducing groundwater across the aquifer and in highly reducing groundwater in agricultural areas. Further, U can be mobile in hot and less reducing groundwater across the aquifer, but hot and highly reducing groundwater in agricultural areas can limit U mobility. More importantly, the study revealed that U can be mobile under high NO3- concentrations in reducing groundwater in non-agricultural areas. However, anthropogenic inputs of NO3- are expected to be lower than natural NO3- inputs in areas where the groundwater is highly reducing. Hence, fertiliser use in agricultural lands is less likely to increase U mobility in highly reducing groundwater.

ACS Style

Daniel Marcos Bonotto; Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Nitrate-dependent Uranium mobilisation in groundwater. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 693, 133655 .

AMA Style

Daniel Marcos Bonotto, Buddhi Wijesiri, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Nitrate-dependent Uranium mobilisation in groundwater. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 693 ():133655.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Marcos Bonotto; Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Nitrate-dependent Uranium mobilisation in groundwater." Science of The Total Environment 693, no. : 133655.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2019 in Sustainable Cities and Society
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ACS Style

M.J. Booysen; Buddhi Wijesiri; Cheroline Ripunda; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Fees and governance: Towards sustainability in water resources management at schools in post-apartheid South Africa. Sustainable Cities and Society 2019, 51, 1 .

AMA Style

M.J. Booysen, Buddhi Wijesiri, Cheroline Ripunda, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Fees and governance: Towards sustainability in water resources management at schools in post-apartheid South Africa. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2019; 51 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M.J. Booysen; Buddhi Wijesiri; Cheroline Ripunda; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Fees and governance: Towards sustainability in water resources management at schools in post-apartheid South Africa." Sustainable Cities and Society 51, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 11 September 2019 in Emerging Contaminants
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Volatile hydrocarbons in urban environments pose significant risks to human and ecosystem health, resulting from wash-off into receiving waters during storm events. Effective mitigation strategies require understanding of the significance of contributing factors to pollutant generation and their processes. This study employed Bayesian Network modelling to investigate how anthropogenic and environmental factors influence volatile hydrocarbons build-up. The volatile hydrocarbons investigated were, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene and styrene. Most volatile hydrocarbons showed statistically significant relationships with environmental factors rather than with anthropogenic factors. Additionally, the research study found that anthropogenic factors could largely contribute to releasing volatile hydrocarbon into the urban environment, while environmental factors are likely to determine their prevalence. The research outcomes will contribute to improving stormwater quality modelling approaches and strengthen the assessment of risk associated with stormwater pollutants in order to enhance stormwater reuse.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Nian Hong; Panfeng Zhu; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Yuntao Guan; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Factors influencing volatile hydrocarbon pollution in urban areas. Emerging Contaminants 2019, 5, 288 -296.

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, An Liu, Nian Hong, Panfeng Zhu, Bo Yang, Xu Zhao, Yuntao Guan, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Factors influencing volatile hydrocarbon pollution in urban areas. Emerging Contaminants. 2019; 5 ():288-296.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Nian Hong; Panfeng Zhu; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Yuntao Guan; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Factors influencing volatile hydrocarbon pollution in urban areas." Emerging Contaminants 5, no. : 288-296.

Conference paper
Published: 01 September 2019 in 38th IAHR World Congress - "Water: Connecting the World"
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ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Ashantha Goonetilleke. UNCERTAINTIES IN THE ASSESSMENT OF VOLATILE HYDROCARBON POLLUTION OF URBAN STORMWATER. 38th IAHR World Congress - "Water: Connecting the World" 2019, 1 .

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, An Liu, Ashantha Goonetilleke. UNCERTAINTIES IN THE ASSESSMENT OF VOLATILE HYDROCARBON POLLUTION OF URBAN STORMWATER. 38th IAHR World Congress - "Water: Connecting the World". 2019; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "UNCERTAINTIES IN THE ASSESSMENT OF VOLATILE HYDROCARBON POLLUTION OF URBAN STORMWATER." 38th IAHR World Congress - "Water: Connecting the World" , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 24 July 2019 in Water Research
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The high pollutant loads discharged from cities pose risks to urban waterways, and in turn the estuarine environments, making it challenging to improve urban liveability. Past studies on the behaviour of pollutants in rivers have largely investigated their transport along the waterway, primarily focusing on the movement of water and sediment. However, the current approaches in pollutant transport modelling provide limited insights into how pollutant transfer between water and sediment phases influences their transport from the upstream towards the estuarine environment. This research study firstly identified typical patterns of metal loads along an urban river in a highly populated city in China. The outcomes were then used to conceptualise metal transfer between water and sediment phases. It was noted that physico-chemical characteristics of water and sediments play a key role in metal transfer between the two phases, and the dominant transfer path (sediment to water/water to sediment) is different between different metals, independent of their origin (crustal, anthropogenic or marine-related). Several scenarios were derived from the conceptualisation of metal behaviour. These in turn were then used to develop real-world scenarios of metal transport in rivers based on the field data. The conceptualisation of metal behaviour confirmed that each metal is likely to have a dominant phase of transport (sediment/water), which is influenced by the dominant transfer path of that metal between water and sediments.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Beibei He; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Godwin Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Behaviour of metals in an urban river and the pollution of estuarine environment. Water Research 2019, 164, 114911 .

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, An Liu, Beibei He, Bo Yang, Xu Zhao, Godwin Ayoko, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Behaviour of metals in an urban river and the pollution of estuarine environment. Water Research. 2019; 164 ():114911.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Beibei He; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Godwin Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Behaviour of metals in an urban river and the pollution of estuarine environment." Water Research 164, no. : 114911.

Journal article
Published: 11 June 2019 in Environmental Pollution
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Stormwater is viewed as an alternative resource to mitigate water shortages. However, stormwater reuse is constrained due to the presence of many toxic pollutants such as hydrocarbons. Effective mitigation requires robust mathematical models for stormwater quality prediction based on an understanding of pollutant processes. However, the rise in global temperatures will impose changes to pollutant processes. This study has proposed a new perspective on modelling the build-up process of hydrocarbons, with a focus on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Among organic compounds, VOCs are the most susceptible to changes as a result of global warming due to their volatility. Seven VOCs, namely, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, para-xylene, meta-xylene, ortho-xylene and styrene in road dust was investigated. The outcomes are expected to lay the foundation to overcoming the limitations in current modelling approaches such as not considering the influence of temperature and volatility, on the build-up process. A new conceptualisation is proposed for the classical build-up model by mathematically defining the volatility of VOCs in terms of temperature. Uncertainty in the re-conceptualised build-up model was quantified and was used to understand the build-up patterns in the future scenarios of global warming. Results indicated that for the likely scenarios, the variability in VOCs build-up gradually increase at the beginning of the dry period and then rapidly increase after around seven days, while the build-up reaches a near-constant value in a shorter dry period, limiting the variability. These initial research outcomes need to be further investigated given the expected impacts of global warming into the future.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Nian Hong; Panfeng Zhu; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Rethinking hydrocarbons build-up on urban roads: A perspective on volatilisation under global warming scenarios. Environmental Pollution 2019, 252, 950 -959.

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, An Liu, Nian Hong, Panfeng Zhu, Bo Yang, Xu Zhao, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Rethinking hydrocarbons build-up on urban roads: A perspective on volatilisation under global warming scenarios. Environmental Pollution. 2019; 252 ():950-959.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Nian Hong; Panfeng Zhu; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Rethinking hydrocarbons build-up on urban roads: A perspective on volatilisation under global warming scenarios." Environmental Pollution 252, no. : 950-959.

Journal article
Published: 06 May 2019 in Environmental Pollution
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The provision of water to meet the needs of an ever increasing urban population is a significant challenge. This is because urban receiving waters are constantly at risk from pollutant inputs via stormwater runoff and wastewater discharge. This research study employed multiple approaches including principal component analysis, Bayesian Network modelling and geospatial analysis to identify patterns in the distributions of nutrients and metals in water and sediments in an urban river and the interactions between the two phases. In both, water and sediments, nutrient concentrations/loads varied in the order of total carbon (TC) > total nitrogen (TN) > total phosphorus (TP). The river sediments were found to contain the highest crustal metal loads, while in water, the marine-related metals had the highest concentrations. Bayesian Network (BN) modelling results of pollutant interactions between water and sediment phases indicated that nitrogen is more likely to be transferred from water to sediment than the opposite, while anthropogenic metals are more likely to be transferred from sediments to water. Further, geospatial analysis showed that TN, crustal metals and anthropogenic metal loads in sediments increased from upstream to downstream, while having a decreasing pattern in water. However, marine-related metals in both water and sediments had increasing concentrations/loads from upstream to downstream. These spatial patterns are attributed to the interactions between water and sediment phases, sediment transport along the river and seawater intrusion in the bay area. The study outcomes are expected to contribute to enhancing the knowledge required for developing mitigation strategies to improve urban receiving water quality.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Kaveh Deilami; Beibei He; Nian Hong; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Godwin Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Nutrients and metals interactions between water and sediment phases: An urban river case study. Environmental Pollution 2019, 251, 354 -362.

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, An Liu, Kaveh Deilami, Beibei He, Nian Hong, Bo Yang, Xu Zhao, Godwin Ayoko, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Nutrients and metals interactions between water and sediment phases: An urban river case study. Environmental Pollution. 2019; 251 ():354-362.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; An Liu; Kaveh Deilami; Beibei He; Nian Hong; Bo Yang; Xu Zhao; Godwin Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Nutrients and metals interactions between water and sediment phases: An urban river case study." Environmental Pollution 251, no. : 354-362.

Chapter
Published: 03 April 2019 in Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future
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Anthropogenic activities which are common to urban areas generate a range of physical, chemical and biological pollutants which are subsequently incorporated in stormwater runoff, leading to the deterioration of receiving water environments. This poses risks to both human and ecosystem health including carcinogenic and neurological effects and the loss of aquatic biodiversity. Water environments are an essential asset for enhancing urban liveability. Significant research has been undertaken in relation to stormwater pollutant characterisation and pollutant processes, which forms the baseline knowledge for developing effective stormwater pollution mitigation strategies. The current practice of formulating strategies to improve stormwater quality relies on the fundamental understanding that pollutants accumulate on urban surfaces during dry weather periods and are subsequently washed-off during rainfall. However, there are significant gaps in the current knowledge base in relation to how pollutant load and composition could vary temporally and spatially, which is critical for understanding the dynamic nature of stormwater quality in urban catchments. This acts as a major constraint to informed decision-making in the context of designing effective stormwater pollution mitigation strategies. Moreover, climate change is a significant influential factor in relation to urban stormwater pollution. The predicted changes to dry and wet weather conditions would lead to changes to pollutant accumulation on urban surfaces, change pollutant characteristics and increase the likelihood of discharging shock loads of pollutants to receiving waters. Research is needed to understand the complex mechanisms underpinning pollutant processes and their influential factors and the role of climate change in order to enhance the well-being of urban communities.

ACS Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Urban Water Quality. Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future 2019, 49 -68.

AMA Style

Buddhi Wijesiri, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Urban Water Quality. Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future. 2019; ():49-68.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Buddhi Wijesiri; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Urban Water Quality." Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future , no. : 49-68.

Journal article
Published: 03 April 2019 in Journal of Environmental Sciences
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Metal pollution of stormwater runoff can cause potential toxic impacts on the receiving water environment and human health. Effective pollution mitigation requires accurate stormwater quality modeling. Even though a significant knowledge base exists on the factors influencing metal build-up on urban roads, very limited studies have investigated how metal–particulate interaction influences metal build-up. This study quantitatively assessed the influence of particulate characteristics, together with vehicular traffic and land use, on the build-up of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd on urban roads. The study outcomes revealed that the variability in metal build-up is highly influenced by the variability associated with metal adsorption to particulates. The percentage contribution from particulate properties influencing metal adsorption in the case of < 150 μm size road dust particles was found to be higher (Zn 44%, Cu 52%, Cr 16%, Ni 27% and Cd 45%) when compared to traffic and land use characteristics (Zn 21%, Cu 13%, Cr and Ni < 10% and Cd 34%). Similar adsorption behavior was noted for metals associated with > 150 μm size road dust particles. Among different particulate properties influencing metal adsorption, effective cation exchange capacity showed a strong positive relationship with the build-up of Cd compared to other metals, highlighting the potential role of Cd in stormwater quality as a readily available metal. The build-up of metals such as Cr and Ni are highly influenced by metal oxides of Al, Fe and Mn and clay forming minerals, indicating that Cr and Ni are relatively stable in nature.

ACS Style

Ayomi Jayarathne; Buddhi Wijesiri; Prasanna Egodawatta; Godwin A. Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. Role of adsorption behavior on metal build-up in urban road dust. Journal of Environmental Sciences 2019, 83, 85 -95.

AMA Style

Ayomi Jayarathne, Buddhi Wijesiri, Prasanna Egodawatta, Godwin A. Ayoko, Ashantha Goonetilleke. Role of adsorption behavior on metal build-up in urban road dust. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 2019; 83 ():85-95.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ayomi Jayarathne; Buddhi Wijesiri; Prasanna Egodawatta; Godwin A. Ayoko; Ashantha Goonetilleke. 2019. "Role of adsorption behavior on metal build-up in urban road dust." Journal of Environmental Sciences 83, no. : 85-95.