Interaction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with a soil humic acid in aqueous solution

Conference · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:370221

Jones, K D; Tiller, C L ^[1]

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1. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

The effects of pH, ionic strength, and cation type on the interactions of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with a well-characterized soil humic acid were investigated. Binding coefficients (K{sub oc}) for anthracene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and triphenylene were determined by fluorescence quenching. At low ionic strength (as NaNO{sub 3}), K{sub oc}, for each of the PAHs increased with pH in the range 4 to 10; at high ionic strength this trend was less apparent. At a given pH, the effect of ionic strength was small, but K{sub oc} was highest at the lowest ionic strength. When pH and ionic strength were held constant but different electrolytes were used, binding of phenanthrene by the humic acid was greatest in the presence of (monovalent) sodium, followed by (bivalent) calcium, and lowest in the presence of (trivalent) aluminum. The results of this investigation are consistent with the view that interactions of hydrophobic organic compounds with natural organic matter (NOM) can be dependent on the conformational behavior of the NOM.

• OSTI ID: 370221
• Report Number(s): CONF-960376--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANTHRACENE
BINDING ENERGY
ELECTROLYTES
FLUORESCENCE
FOSSIL FUELS
HUMIC ACIDS
PH VALUE
PHENANTHRENE
POLLUTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PYRENE
TRIPHENYLENE