Application of the octanol-air partition coefficient for describing particle/gas distribution of persistent aromatics
- Atmospheric Environment Service, Downsview, Ontario (Canada)
- Youngstown State Univ., OH (United States)
- Trent Univ., Peterborough, Ontario (Canada)
Partitioning of chemicals between the gas and aerosol particulate phases can be explained by adsorption onto active sites on the surface of the aerosol, and/or by absorption into a liquid film. In both cases the particle/gas distribution coefficient, K{sub P}, is well correlated with vapor pressure for compounds in the same class. This investigation will consider using the octanol-air partition coefficient, K{sub OA}, as an alternate fitting parameter for K{sub P}. A method for measuring K{sub OA} is described and results are presented for several polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) over the temperature range {minus}10 C to + 40 C. Results of particle/gas distributions for PCBs, PAHs, and PCN, from field samples collected in Chicago are presented and discussed with relation to K{sub OA}, vapor pressure and the planarity of the compound. Correlation of K{sub P} with K{sub OA} reduces differences between compound classes and is able to explain the enhanced partitioning onto particles for coplanar PCBs which vapor pressure alone is unable to resolve.
- OSTI ID:
- 462535
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961149--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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