A PAH fate model for San Francisco Bay.
A mass balance model was applied to simulate the long-term fate of PAHs in San Francisco Bay. The model treats the Bay as a single box with interacting water and sediment compartments, and includes loading, volatilization, outflow to the ocean, degradation, and burial in deep sediment. The estimated time required for loss of one-half of the mass in the Bay in the absence of loading ranged from 20 d for naphthalene to 5 yr for benzo(b)fluoranthene. Uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulation indicated a high degree of influence and uncertainty for degradation rates, suggesting that improved estimates of degradation would significantly improve the predictive ability of the model. A comparison of model calculations to literature values suggested that external PAH loading to San Francisco Bay was at or above previous estimates of 3600 kgyr(-1), and that degradation in the Bay was within the range of commonly published estimates for high molecular weight PAHs (4.0 x 10(-5) to 4.0 x 10(-4)d(-1)).
Greenfield
Ben K
BK
San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), 7770 Pardee Lane, Oakland, CA 94621, USA. ben@sfei.org
Davis
Jay A
JA
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002140:California; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014835:Volatilization; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical