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Accidental or diffuse releases of pollutants along transportation corridors - such as highways or parking lots - can be picked up by stormwater runoff and can negatively impact the quality of surface and ground water. These pollutants, especially polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals, wash off the road during rainstorms. Structural best management practices (BMP) that retain the runoff can remove some of these pollutants by co-sedimentation of suspended solids. However, dissolved pollutants move apparently unhindered through conventional detention/retention ponds.

Dr. Boving's research team has demonstrated that Aspen wood fibers (Populus Tremula) effectively remove a large fraction of dissolved organic contaminant load (i.e. PAH) when placed in the waste water stream (Boving and Zhang, 2004, Chemosphere 54, 831-839). Wood fibers also remove some of the dissolved heavy metals, although not quite as effectively than PAHs.

A field study is in progress to investigate wood fiber technology as a cheap, effective, environmentally friendly extension of existing BMPs. First results indicate that wood fibers remove a significant fraction of dissolved PAHs and copper from roadway runoff. There is also evidence that the wood filters remove nutrients, such as nitrate and phosphate. A publication of the field test results is upcoming.