Jun 17 2010 Jeff Gillies
A recent study of parking lots by Purdue University came up with the following information on parking lots impact upon our environment.
Parking lots can soup up stream-bound rainwater with pollutants like oil and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, according to another Purdue parking lot study. Some pavement sealants have high levels of PAHs, which are a group of chemicals toxic to aquatic life. Some may also cause cancer in people. Pavement can stress nearby streams.
“Thermal pollution” is another problem, parking lot runoff that is warmer than the stream it flows into could cause trouble for cold-water species of fish and insects.