title: Explaining PAH desorption from sediments using Rock Eval analysis.
abstract: Here, we provide Rock Eval and black carbon (BC) characteristics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) distribution coefficients (KD) for sediments from the Danube, Elbe, Ebro, and Meuse river basins. PAH desorption kinetic parameters were determined using sequential Tenax extractions. We show that residual carbon (RC) from Rock Eval analysis is an adequate predictor of fast, slow, and very slow desorbing fractions of 4-ring PAHs. RC correlated better than BC, the latter constituting only 7% of RC. A dual domain sorption model was statistically superior to a single domain model in explaining KD for low molecular weight PAHs, whereas the opposite was observed for high molecular weight PAHs. Because particularly the 4-ring PAHs are bioavailable and relevant from a risk assessment perspective and because their fast desorbing fractions correlate best with RC, we recommend RC as a relevant characteristic for river sediments.
authors: Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Anton
authors: A
authors: Poot
authors: Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80177, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: M T O
authors: MTO
authors: Jonker
authors: Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Frits
authors: F
authors: Gillissen
authors: Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; IMARES - Institute for Marine Resources & Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 68, 1970 AB IJmuiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: bart.koelmans@wur.nl.
authors: Albert A
authors: AA
authors: Koelmans
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D007700:Kinetics; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Black carbon; PAH; Rock Eval; Sediment; Sorption; Sorption kinetics