[Greenbuilding] Toxic Materials in Roof Runoff

[RT]

On Tue, 12 Aug 2014 10:30:17 -0400, John Salmen <terrain at shaw.ca> wrote:

> So my reaction was - well we do know that....
>
> Study did not look at aged materials (samples were all new) which I  
> think is crucial for evaluating [PAH]

I pretty much agree with the above. "Dumb study" was my reaction.

Back in the days of my mis-spent yoot, it was always entertaining to  
acquire an altered consciousness and then do silly things like go looking  
for faces in rocks, for a giggle. And invariably, we found them.  This  
study was very reminicent of that pastime.

ie If you go looking for metals in the run-off from metal roofs (ie the  
leachate from the oxides in the sacrificial coating or layer) then chances  
are pretty good that you're going to find some. And if the product is  
painted , well, you know.

I'd be willing to wager a box of  low-fat doughnuts

http://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/people-line-up-for-almonte-inventors-lower-fat-doughnuts

 from the place down the road in Almonte (also home of the inventor of  
basketball) that the undercarriage components of Ford vehicles in just one  
Pacific NW metropolis leaches more "toxic" materials into the runoff that  
makes its way to the ocean than do all of the zinc-aluminum alloy roofs in  
the entire PNW.

The galling thing to me was that this study makes asphalt shingle roofs  
look almost benign in comparison to metal roofs.  I just happened to run  
into a neighbour yesterday as I was heading out for my morning bike ride  
who was stressing out about a can of aerosol bug spray that some workmen  
had left stuck in the downspout of her eavestrough.  The prospect of the  
predicted 30-plus degC for later in the day and heavy rains to come had  
her more than a little concerned.

I offered to scoot up onto the roof and retrieve the offending aerosol can  
immediately rather than her have to wait for the workmen. While I was  
eyeing the roof to see how long of a ladder I'd need she informed me that  
she was currently involved in a civil suit over the less-than-10 yrs-old  
50-year warranty "architectural" asphalt shingle roof which was failing.  
So in a mere 20-some years, there will be two huge dumpsters-full of  
asphalt shingles going to the landfill just from that one roof while her  
neighbour's metal roof installed at about the same time as her original  
roof  will likely last another few decades before even having to think  
about a cosmetic touch-up.

Then I found Erin's sucker-bait post later that afternoon.

(And "No" , I've not yet tried the afore-mentioned dognuts (sic).)

-- 
=== * ===
Rob Tom  .  .  . T60BOM
Kanata, Ontario, Canada

A r c h i L o g i c  at  Y a h o o  dot C A
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