Degradation of tetraethyllead in leaded gasoline contaminated and uncontaminated soils

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:367488

Ou, L; Jing, W; Thomas, J; Mulroy, P ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). Soil and Water Science Dept.

For over 50 years, since its introduction in 1923 by General Motors, tetraethyllead (TEL) was the major antiknock agent used in leaded gasoline. Since the middle of 1970, use of leaded gasoline in automobiles was gradually phased out. The main objective of this study is to determine the degradation rates and metabolites of TEL in gasoline contaminated and uncontaminated soils. TEL in uncontaminated soils disappeared rapidly. Ionic triethyllead (TREL) was the major organolead metabolite in these soils, with ionic diethyllead (DEL) being the minor product. Nonsterile soils, but not autoclaved soils, had limited capacity to mineralize {sup 14}C-TEL to {sup 14}CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}0, and Pb{sup 2+}. Unlike TEL in uncontaminated soils, petroleum hydrocarbons protected TEL in leaded gasoline contaminated soils from being degraded. Both disappearance and mineralization rates of TEL in leaded gasoline contaminated soils decreased with the increase in gasoline concentration. It appears that TEL in leaded gasoline contaminated soils is relatively stable until the level of petroleum hydrocarbons falls below a critical value. TEL is then rapidly degraded. Hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms may be involved, to some extent, in the degradation of TEL.

• OSTI ID: 367488
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIODEGRADATION
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
LEAD
OIL SPILLS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS
TRACER TECHNIQUES