An independent prediction of the effect of dissolved organic matter on the transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
The transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in porous media in the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) was predicted with a transport bicontinuum model using independently obtained relationships to derive transport parameters for describing the effect of PAH binding to the DOM. The sorption constants of PAHs to soil and their binding constants to DOM were derived from basic correlations with K(ow) (indicator of hydrophobicity). The kinetic (rate) constants were derived from previously published correlations with K(p) (sorption constant). The independently obtained sorption and rate constants were corrected for binding to DOM and were used to predict the breakthrough curves (BTC) of contaminants in the presence and the absence of DOM. Column results confirmed the independently predicted BTC of PAHs in the presence of DOM that did not sorb to the solid phase, as well as the effect of DOM on the rate of the sorption and desorption processes. These findings confirm the ability to quantitatively describe how DOM facilitates transport of contaminants in the subsurface using independently derived parameters.
Sabbah
Isam
I
Regional Research and Development Center, The Galilee Society, P.O. Box 437, Shefa-Amr 20200, Israel. isabbah@gal-soc.org <isabbah@gal-soc.org>
Rebhun
Menahem
M
Gerstl
Zev
Z
D000042:Absorption; D001692:Biological Transport; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005544:Forecasting; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical