Combined Effects of Aging and Cosolvents on Sequestration of Phenanthrene in Soils
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 7
Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of organic cosolvents on the extractability of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) from soils after defined aging periods following HOC contamination. Phenanthrene was used as the representative HOC. Two soils with organic matter contents 2.9 and 6.5%, respectively, were investigated. The soils were spiked with phenanthrene, then saturated in water or mixtures of water and methanol, and aged for up to 422 days. After freeze drying, the extent of phenanthrene release was measured using a mild extraction process. The results show that as aging period increases, phenanthrene removal from the soils becomes more difficult. The amount of easily extractable phenanthrene tended to increase when more methanol existed in the pore fluid during aging, but the difference largely diminished after about 400 days. At the early stage of aging, extraction of phenanthrene from the soil with lower organic matter content tended to be less difficult compared with that from the soil containing more organic matter. The opposite appeared to be true when the aging time was longer than 200 days. From the results, we propose that a shift in the predominant sequestration mechanisms occurred after a certain period of time, in which hydrophobic interactions between HOCs and organic matter gradually yield to physical trapping of the sorbate molecule in the meso- and micropores of the soil particles.
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Acknowledgments
The writers thank Dr. George Dizikes and his colleague of the Illinois Department of Public Health Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory for allowing them to use their freeze dryer. They also acknowledge Todd M. Schoonover for editorial assistance. The financial support of this work was provided by the Dean’s Office, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 7 • July 2005
Pages: 1068 - 1072
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 3, 2003
Accepted: Nov 9, 2004
Published online: Jul 1, 2005
Published in print: Jul 2005
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