Release of polyaromatic hydrocarbons from coal tar contaminated soils
- Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States). Dept. of Agronomy
A variety of process wastes generated from manufactured gas production (MGP) have contaminated soils and groundwater at production and disposal sites. Coal tar, consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons present as a nonaqueous phase liquid, makes up a large portion of MGP wastes. Of the compounds in coal tar, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the major constituents of environmental concern due to their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic hazards. Characterization of the release of PAHs from the waste-soil matrix is essential to quantifying long-term environmental impacts in soils and groundwater. Currently, conservative estimates for the release of PAHs to the groundwater are made assuming equilibrium conditions and using relationships derived from artificially contaminated soils. Preliminary work suggests that aged coal tar contaminated soils have much lower rates of desorption and a greater affinity for retaining organic contaminants. To obtain better estimates of desorption rates, the release of PAHs from a coal tar soil was investigated using a flow-interruption, miscible displacement technique. Methanol/water solutions were employed to enhance PAH concentrations above limits of detection. For each methanol/water solution employed, a series of flow interrupts of varying times was invoked. Release rates from each methanol/water solution were estimated from the increase in concentration with duration of flow interruption. Aqueous-phase release rates were then estimated by extrapolation using a log-linear cosolvency model.
- OSTI ID:
- 395364
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9505206-; TRN: 96:029048
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 50. Purdue industrial waste conference, W. Lafayette, IN (United States), 8-10 May 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 50. industrial waste conference; Wukasch, R.F. [ed.]; PB: 861 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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