Sorption of lipophilic organic compounds to wood and implications for their environmental fate.
The sorption from water to wood (KWood) of 10 organic chemicals (log KOW, 1.48-6.20) was experimentally determined for oak (Quercus robur) and basket willow (Salix viminalis). Linear regression yielded log KWood = -0.27 (+/- 0.25) + 0.632 (+/- 0.063) log KOW for oak (r = 0.90, n = 27) and log KWood = -0.28 (+/- 0.40) + 0.668 (+/- 0.103) log KOW for willow (r = 0.79, n = 27). According to an equilibrium-partitioning model, wood should be an important storage compartment for lipophilic environmental chemicals, but this is contrary to analytical results. Diffusive uptake from air into wood was estimated to be a relevant transport process only for chemicals with a high KAW. Uptake of chemicals from soil via xylem into stem was simulated with a dynamic one-compartment model. This pathway seems to be important for chemicals with low and intermediate lipophilicity. In large trees, the chemicals are retained for a long time. If metabolism inside the stem occurs, wood can serve as a "safe sink" for environmental chemicals. This might be of use in phytoremediation.
Trapp
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Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark. stt@imt.dtu.dk
Miglioranza
K S
KS
Mosbaek
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H
D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry*; D014934:Wood
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012987:Soil