title: Use of powdered coconut charcoal as a toxicity identification and evaluation manipulation for organic toxicants in marine sediments.
abstract: We report on a procedure using powdered coconut charcoal to sequester organic contaminants and reduce toxicity in sediments as part of a series of toxicity identification and evaluation (TIE) methods. Powdered coconut charcoal (PCC) was effective in reducing the toxicity of endosulfan-spiked sediments by 100%. Powdered coconut charcoal also was effective in removing almost 100% of the toxicity from two field sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Powdered coconut charcoal did not change the toxicity of ammonia or metal-spiked sediments; however, there was some quantitative reduction in the concentrations of free metals (element specific) in metal-spiked sediments. Powdered coconut charcoal is an effective, relatively specific method to sequester and remove toxicity from sediments contaminated with organic contaminants.
authors.affiliation: US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory-Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA. ho.kay@epa.gov
authors.forename: Kay T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: Marguerite C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Serbst
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cantwell
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ryba
authors.forename: Monique M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Perron
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lebo
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huckins
authors.forename: Jimmie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petty
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D033304:Amphipoda / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D003059:Cocos; D003445:Crustacea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004726:Endosulfan / Q000633:toxicity; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D012117:Resins, Synthetic; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D012117:Resins, Synthetic; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002606:Charcoal; C016979:Ambersorb XE-344 resin; D000641:Ammonia; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D004726:Endosulfan