title: Evaluation of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) behaviour in agricultural soil through laboratory continuous studies.
abstract: The behaviour of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) in agricultural soil is investigated in the laboratory using continuous-flow soil column studies in order to simultaneously analyze the three main underlying phenomena (adsorption/desorption, degradation and transport). The continuous-flow soil column experiments generated the breakthrough curves for each LAS homologue, C10, C11, C12 and C13, and by adding them up, for total LAS, from which the relevant retention, degradation and transport parameters could be estimated, after proposing adequate models. Several transport equations were considered, including the degradation of the sorbate in solution and its retention by soil, under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions between the sorbent and the sorbate. In general, the results obtained for the estimates of those parameters that were common to the various models studied (such as the isotherm slope, first order degradation rate coefficient and the hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient) were rather consistent, meaning that mass transfer limitations are not playing a major role in the experiments. These three parameters increase with the length of the LAS homologue chain. The study will provide the underlying conceptual framework and fundamental parameters to understand, simulate and predict the environmental behaviour of LAS compounds in agricultural soils.
authors.affiliation: Research Group of Analytical Chemistry and Life Sciences, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Campus of Fuentenueva, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oliver-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Research Group of Analytical Chemistry and Life Sciences, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Campus of Fuentenueva, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: azafra@ugr.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zafra-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: B P M
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Cepsa Química, Avenida del Partenón 12, E-28042 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verge
authors.affiliation: Cepsa Química, Avenida del Partenón 12, E-28042 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: de Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Cepsa Química, Avenida del Partenón 12, E-28042 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Pascual
authors.affiliation: Research Group of Analytical Chemistry and Life Sciences, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Campus of Fuentenueva, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vílchez
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000383:Agriculture; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D012996:Solutions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000032:analysis; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D012996:Solutions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C030641:alkylbenzyl sulfonic acid
keywords: Agricultural soil; Column experiments; Environmental behaviour modeling; Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate; Transport equations