Gaseous exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons across the air-water interface of lower Chesapeake Bay
- College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA (United States)
The gaseous exchange fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across the air-water interface of lower Chesapeake Bay were determined using a modified two-film exchange model. Sampling covered the period January 1994 to June 1995 for five sites on lower Chesapeake Bay ranging from rural to urban and highly industrialized. Simultaneous air and water samples were collected and the atmospheric gas phase and water column dissolved phase analyzed via GC/MS for 17 PAHs. The direction and magnitude of flux for each PAH was calculated using Henry`s law constants, hydrological and meteorological parameters, Temperature was observed to be an important environmental factor in determining both the direction and magnitude of PAH gas exchange. Nonetheless, wind speed significantly impacts mass transfer coefficients, and therefore was found to control the magnitude of flux. Spatial and temporal variation of PAH gaseous exchange fluxes were examined. Fluxes were determined to be both into and out of Chesapeake Bay. The range of gas exchange fluxes ({minus}560 to 600{micro}g/M{sup 2}*Mo) is of the same order to 10X greater than atmospheric wet and dry depositional fluxes to lower Chesapeake Bay. The results of this study support the hypothesis that gas exchange is a major transport process affecting the net loadings of PAHs in lower Chesapeake Bay.
- OSTI ID:
- 203613
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9614%%125
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Particle/vapor concentrations and distributions of PAHs in the atmosphere of southern Chesapeake Bay
Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in southern Chesapeake Bay surface water: Evaluation of three methods for determining freely dissolved water concentrations