Release of Polychlorinated Biphenyls from River Sediment to Water under Low-Flow Conditions: Laboratory Assessment
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 130, Issue 2
Abstract
The diffusive release of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from sediments to water under low-flow conditions was measured for surficial sediments with different PCB concentrations collected from the Grasse River near Massena, N.Y. Data on PCB sediment-water equilibrium partitioning and PCB mass release flux from sediments were used to assess the extent and mass transfer rate of PCB release under low-flow conditions in the Grasse River. Microcosm studies were employed to evaluate the release flux of PCBs under quiescent conditions for various river sediments and sediment mixtures. The observed total-PCB release fluxes ranged from about 1 to 20 mg/m2⋅year, showing predominantly dichloro- through tetrachlorobiphenyls. Analyses of water column samples from the Grasse River under low-flow conditions also indicated the predominance of dichloro- through tetrachlorobiphenyls as in the microcosm tests. Data on PCB equilibrium partitioning between water and sediment were used to estimate sediment porewater concentrations, and these data combined with the microcosm flux data were used to estimate average, aqueous-boundary-layer total-PCB mass transfer coefficients of 0.3–1.5 cm/day. These values are consistent with estimates of mass transfer coefficients based on aqueous-boundary-layer correlations, and with PCB mass transfer coefficients inferred from the field data for low-flow conditions in the fall and winter (approximately 2 cm/day). The correspondence of the laboratory results with the field measurements and mass transfer rates demonstrates the usefulness of the microcosm technique for estimating fluxes of PCBs from river sediments under low-flow minimum bioturbation conditions.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 130 • Issue 2 • February 2004
Pages: 126 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 5, 2002
Accepted: Feb 21, 2003
Published online: Jan 16, 2004
Published in print: Feb 2004
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