The impact of vegetation on sedimentary organic matter composition and PAH desorption.
Relationships between sedimentary organic matter (SOM) composition and PAH desorption behavior were determined for vegetated and non-vegetated refinery distillate waste sediments. Sediments were fractionated into size, density, and humin fractions and analyzed for their organic matter content. Bulk sediment and humin fractions differed more in organic matter composition than size/density fractions. Vegetated humin and bulk sediments contained more polar organic carbon, black carbon, and modern (plant) carbon than non-vegetated sediment fractions. Desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and C(3)-phenanthrene/anthracenes from humin and bulk sediments were investigated using Tenax beads and a two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. PAH desorption from distillate waste sediments appeared to be controlled by the slow desorbing fractions of sediment; rate constants were similar to literature values for k(slow) and k(very slow). After several decades of plant colonization and growth (Phragmites australis), vegetated sediment fractions more extensively desorbed PAHs and had faster desorption kinetics than non-vegetated sediment fractions.
North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. elizabeth_nichols@ncsu.edu
Elizabeth Guthrie
EG
Nichols
Samuel T
ST
Gregory
Jennifer S
JS
Musella
D000327:Adsorption; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002911:Chrysenes / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D006812:Humic Substances / Q000032:analysis; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011108:Polymers; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D002911:Chrysenes; D006812:Humic Substances; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011108:Polymers; D011721:Pyrenes; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C001861:humin; C031180:chrysene; C010514:tenax; C030984:pyrene