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Title: Detecting organic contaminants in the unsaturated zone using soil and soil-pore water samples

Journal Article · · Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials; (USA)
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Texas A M Univ., College Station (USA)
  2. McNeese State Univ., Lake Charles, LA (USA)

A lysimeter study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of soil core and soil-pore water samples in detecting the movement of organic constituents from land-treated industrial wastes. Lysimeters collected from the Bastrop, Padina, and Weswood soils were amended with a refinery separator sludge, a wood-preserving bottom sediment sludge, or a nonhalogenated solvent recovery sludge at rates of 50, 15, and 50 g kg{sup {minus}1}, respectively. Soil-pore water samples from porous ceramic cups and soil cores were collected monthly at three depths in the lysimeters to monitor n-alkanes and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum waste, phenols and cresols from the wood-preserving waste, and aromatic solvents from the solvent recovery waste. The organic carbon normalized soil sorption coefficient (K{sub oc}) may be useful for determining when soil-pore water or soil core samples will be most effective in detecting organic chemicals in the unsaturated zone of soils. N-alkanes with log K{sub oc} values < 4.4; PNAs < 3; chlorophenols (mono-, di-, tri-) < 4.0; nitrophenols (mono-, di-) < 2.3; and aromatics < 3.3, are best detected using soil-pore water sampling methods. N-alkanes with log K{sub oc} values between 4.8 and 6.2 are equally detected by either sampling method. Otherwise, all these classes of chemicals with log K{sub oc} values greater than those mentioned are best detected by obtaining soil cores.

OSTI ID:
5765048
Journal Information:
Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials; (USA), Vol. 7:2; ISSN 0882-5696
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English