title: Evidence of colloidal transport of PAHs during column experiments run with contaminated soil samples.
abstract: Brownfield soils may contain high levels of organic pollutants particularly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It is essential to predict their migration and fate and to evaluate the risk of transfer to sensitive targets, such as water resources, ecosystems and human health. In this study, soil samples have been taken from an experimental contaminated site of former steel activities located at Homecourt (Lorraine, France). These samples have been lixiviated in laboratory column in water-saturated condition at room temperature. The effluent has been collected by fraction and analysed by a standard method giving total concentration of each of 16 PAHs. The breakthrough curves of 16 PAHs significantly evolve in the same way according to the volume of effluent and tend to vanish to 12-15 pore volumes. If several PAHs remain at a concentration below the solubility, others clearly exceed this threshold. Material balance sheets show that only a very small fraction of PAHs is mobilised. These results are interpreted by postulating that PAHs are transported by the solution not only in the dissolved state but also by associations with particulate or dissolved organic matter.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Eco-Procédés, Optimisation et Aide à la Décision (EPROAD, EA), Université de Picardie Jules Verne - IUT de l'Aisne, 48 rue d'Ostende, 02100, Saint-Quentin, France. karim.benhabib@u-picardie.fr.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Benhabib
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Réaction et Génie des Procédés, Nancy Université INPL - CNRS, 1 rue Grandville, BP 20451, 54001, Nancy cedex, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Odile
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Simonnot
authors.affiliation: G2R, Nancy Université UHP, BP239, 54601, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Faure
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Eco-Procédés, Optimisation et Aide à la Décision (EPROAD, EA), Université de Picardie Jules Verne - IUT de l'Aisne, 48 rue d'Ostende, 02100, Saint-Quentin, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sardin
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005602:France; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Aged contaminated soil; Colloidal transport; Column experiment; PAHs