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U.S. Department of Energy
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Irreversible adorption-desorption of PCB from a natural and simulated sediment

Conference ·
OSTI ID:370236
; ;  [1]
  1. Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
In sediment and soil systems many mechanisms have been proposed to explain the slow release or irreversible fraction of hydrophobic organic contaminants. However, the complexity of soils and sediments has made it difficult to determine specifically what causes the bound fraction. A surrogate soil has been produced to alleviate some of the complexity and consists of anatase coated with an anionic surfactant. A desorption-resistant solid phase concentration of hydrophobic contaminant has been observed to exist for natural and for surrogate sediments and the size of this compartment has been determined. The size was measured by repetitively exposing the sediment to the contaminant. The desorption, which is bimodal, has a labile phase dot appears to be reversible and a resistant phase which desorbs at a continuous concentration of 0.6 to 0.7 ppb. These results will significantly alter the regulatory aspects of how clean is clean.
OSTI ID:
370236
Report Number(s):
CONF-960376--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English