Evaluating the Effectiveness of Bioretention Cells for Urban Stormwater Management: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Bioretention cells (BRCs) are a promising low-impact development (LID) practice that are commonly used in urban settings to improve the water quality and mitigate the hydrological effects of stormwater runoff. BRCs have been the subject of extensive research in order to better comprehend their function and improve their effectiveness. However, BRC performance differs greatly among regions in terms of hydrologic performance and quality enhancement. Due to this variance in BRC effectiveness, the current study conducted a comprehensive systematic review to answer the question, “Are BRCs an effective LID method for urban catchment stormwater management?”. This review study analyzed the effectiveness of BRCs in mitigating hydrologic impacts and enhancing the quality of stormwater runoff in urban catchments. A review of 114 field, laboratory, and modeling studies on BRCs found that the promising BRCs may be one of the most successful approaches to restore urban hydrology cycle and improve stormwater water quality. With further development of BRCs, their performance in terms of quantity and quality will become more reliable, helping to develop long-term solutions to stormwater urban drainage issues. At the end of this review, the knowledge gaps and future prospects for BRC research are presented. In addition to providing a foundational grasp of BRC, this review study outlines the key design recommendations for BRC implementation in order to address the issues raised by certain BRC design errors.