title: Measurement and modeling of activated carbon performance for the sequestration of parent- and alkylated-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in petroleum-impacted sediments.
abstract: We present a first comprehensive set of experiments that demonstrate the performance of activated carbon (AC) to reduce the availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including alkylated-PAHs in petroleum-impacted sediments. The uptake in polyethylene samplers for total PAHs in a well-mixed sediment slurry was reduced up to 99% and 98% for petroleum-impacted sediments with oil contents of 1% and 2%, respectively, by treatment with 5% AC. The AC showed similar efficiency for parent-PAHs and a suite of alkylated-PAHs, which predominate over parent-PAHs in petroleum-impacted sediments. A mass transfer model was used to simulate the AC performance in a slurry phase with site-specific mass transfer parameters determined in this study. Comparison between the experimental data and simulation results suggested that dissolved organic matter and/or oil phase may have attenuated the AC performance by a factor of 5-6 for 75-300 μm AC with 5% dose at one month. The attenuation in AC performance became negligible with increase in AC-sediment slurry contact time to 12 months and with decrease in AC particle size. The results show the potential for AC amendment to sequester PAHs in petroleum-impacted sediments and the effect of contact time and AC particle size on the efficiency of the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4020, USA.
authors.forename: Yongju
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yeo-Myoung
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Gala
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Luthy
mesh_terms: D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D002606:Charcoal