Determining and modelling hydrophobic organic contaminant speciation in mesocosms

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

OSTI ID:390191

Ashley, J T.F.; Baker, J E ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Maryland System, Solomons, MD (United States)

The bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCS) in aqueous environments is largely controlled by their interaction with dissolved and particulate organic matter. The binding capacity provides a quantitative means of describing the extent of sequestration of a contaminant. This study was undertaken to evaluate HOC binding capacities within variously sized benthic-planktonic mesocosms during the development of planktonic communities. The ability of each mesocosm to sequester these organic contaminants was followed over time using a gas sparging reactor. Unfiltered water samples, collected from five mesocosms of varying surface area to volume ratios, were spiked with an aliquot of a cocktail containing 16 polychlorinated biphenyls (log K{sub ow}s ranging from 4.55 to 7.65) and chlorpyrifos. After 2 hours, samples were sparged with air. Particulate, dissolved (2 {micro}m nonfilter retained) and vapor phase HOC concentrations were evaluated before and after sparging. Dissolved phase HOC concentrations were separated into colloidally-bound and truly dissolved fractions knowing the vapor phase concentrations and Henry`s Law constants (previously determined using the sparging reactor). Polychlorinated biphenyl congener 97 was found largely in the colloidal and truly dissolved phases (40% and 31%) whereas PCB congener 180 existed largely in the particulate phase (55%). The authors incorporate the results of the HOC binding capacity study into a time-variable, scale-independent model of contaminant speciation in mesocosms.

• OSTI ID: 390191
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
MICROCOSMS
PHASE STUDIES
PLANKTON
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER POLLUTION