Sorption and desorption of benzo(a)pyrene in aquatic systems

The sorptive behaviour of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is critical to controlling their transport, fates and effects in the environment. Experiments are described which detail the behaviour of a model compound (benzo(a)pyrene) under simulated aquatic conditions. The kinetics of sorption were comparable to those of other PAH compounds. The sorption equilibrium was extensively studied and found to be affected by several key parameters, notably sediment concentration. The sorption coefficient decreased substantially with the sediment concentration, from 9580 ml g(-1) at a sediment concentration of 0.067 g l(-1) to 1,110 ml g(-1) at a sediment concentration of 9.8 g l(-1). The results are consistent with previous reports and often explained by the presence of colloids. In this paper the dry weight concentration of colloids was determined and used for deriving the true sorption coefficient, which is up to an order of magnitude higher than the observed partition coefficient. The sorption of benzo(a)pyrene was also dependent on some of the particle properties, and the sorption coefficient was found to increase with the organic carbon content and specific surface area of sediment particles. The desorption of benzo(a)pyrene from sediment was shown to be relatively rapid, with implications for the potential remobilisation of benzo(a)pyrene and similar compounds.     

Quantitative assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants in Qingdao, China

In this study, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in sewage sludge samples from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Qingdao, China. These WWTPs differ in the type of treatment used and in the origin of the wastewater. The total amounts of PAHs in digested sludges ranged from 1.9645 to 6.5752 mg/kg, which did not exceed the projected European Union cut-off limits (6 mg/kg) for sludge found in farmland, except for the Haibohe WWTP. Significant differences were observed in overall PAH values between WWTPs receiving domestic effluents and those receiving industrial effluents. The total amounts of PAHs in digested sludge from the Licunhe and Haibohe WWTPs, which mainly received industrial effluents, were markedly higher than those of the Tuandao and Huangdao WWTPs, which received only domestic effluents. The distribution of PAH compounds in digested sludges were analysed. At the Tuandao, Huangdao and Licunhe WWTPs, 2-, 3-, 4-benzene rings were predominant, accounting for 100%, 99.8% and 99.0% of the sum concentration of 16 PAHs (∑PAHs), respectively. At the Haibohe WWTP, a large number of high molecular weight PAHs (5-, 6-benzene rings) were observed, accounting for 30% of the ∑PAHs. The sum of seven carcinogenic PAHs (∑PAHs-c) ranged from 0.8694 to 3.0389 mg/kg in four WWTPs. The highest value was found in the Haibohe WWTP. Moreover, the PAH concentrations in sludges from the different treatment processes in the Licunhe and Tuandao WWTPs are discussed.     

Transport,deposition and biodegradation of particle bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a tidal basin of an industrial watershed

Polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are commoncontaminants in industrial watersheds. Their origin,transport and fate are important to scientists,environmental managers and citizens. The Philadelphia NavalReserve Basin (RB) is a small semi-enclosed embayment nearthe confluence of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers inPennsylvania (USA). We conducted a study at this site todetermine the tidal flux of particles and particle-boundcontaminants associated with the RB. Particle traps wereplaced at the mouth and inside the RB and in the Schuylkilland Delaware Rivers. There was net particle deposition intothe RB, which was determined for three seasons. Spring andfall depositions were highest (1740 and 1230 kg ofparticles, respectively) while winter deposition wasinsignificant. PAH concentrations on settling particlesindicated a net deposition of 12.7 g PAH in fall and 2.1 gPAH in spring over one tidal cycle. There was nosignificant PAH deposition in the winter. Biodegradationrates, calculated from ¹⁴C-labeled PAH substratemineralization, could attenuate only about 0.25% of the PAHdeposited during a tidal cycle in fall. However, in thespring, biodegradation could be responsible for degrading50% of the settling PAHs. The RB appears to be a sink forPAHs in this watershed.     

Impact of Zn and Cu on the development of phenanthrene catabolism in soil

Mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals are of major concern in contaminated soil. Biodegradation of PAHs in metal-contaminated soils is complicated because metals are toxic and cannot be degraded by biological processes. This investigation considered the effects of Zn and Cu (50, 100, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg) on ¹⁴C-phenanthrene biodegradation in soil over 60-day contact time. The presence of Zn at all concentrations and low concentrations of Cu (50 and 100 mg/kg) had no significant effect (p?>?0.05) on the development of phenanthrene catabolism; however, at higher Cu concentrations, the development of phenanthrene catabolism and bacterial cell numbers were significantly reduced (p?<?0.05). This suggests that Cu is more toxic than Zn to soil microbial PAH catabolic activity. Metal/PAH-contaminated soils represent one of the most difficult remedial challenges and insights into PAH biodegradation in the presence of metals is necessary in order to assess the potential for bioremediation.     

Fate estimation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils in a rapid urbanization region, Shenzhen of China

Our previous study indicated that the current level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Shenzhen soil is in the low-end of world soil PAH pollution. In this study, the fate of PAHs in the soil of Shenzhen was investigated. The mass inventories of Σ(27)PAHs and Σ(15)PAHs (defined as the sum of the 27 or 15 PAH compounds sought) in topsoil of Shenzhen were ～204 and ～152 metric tons, respectively. Fate estimation of Σ(15)PAHs shows that air-soil gaseous exchange is the primary environmental process with ～10,076 kg/year diffusing from soil to air. Rain washing (～1131 kg/year from air to soil) is the most important input pathway followed by wet (～17 kg/year) and dry deposition (～8 kg/year) to soils in Shenzhen. The transport of Σ(15)PAHs by soil erosion is a crucial loss process for soil PAHs in Shenzhen (1918 kg/year for water runoff and 657 kg/year for solid runoff from soil). Moreover, degradation is not ignorable at present (95 kg/year). Comparison of inventory and residue (defined as Σ(15)PAHs left in topsoils after all environmental loss processes) suggested that input and loss of high molecular weight PAHs for Shenzhen's soil reached apparent equilibrium. Soil PAH pollution in Shenzhen will stay in a quasi-steady state for a long period and the natural environmental processes can not significantly reduce the pollution.     

Study of air-soil exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the north-central part of India--a semi arid region

Soil is the major environmental reservoir of organic compounds and soil-air exchange is a key process in governing the environmental fate of these compounds on a regional and global scale. Samples of air and soil were collected to study the levels of PAHs in the air and soil of the Agra region. Concentrations of PAH measured at four locations in the city of Agra, covers industrial, residential, roadside and agricultural areas. Samples were extracted with hexane by ultrasonic agitation. Extracts were then fractioned on a silica-gel column and the aromatic fraction was analysed by GC-MS. The mean concentration of the total PAH (T-PAH) in the air of Agra was 24.95, 17.95 and 14.25 ng m(-3), during winter, monsoon and summer respectively. The average concentration of T-PAH in the soil of Agra was 12.50, 8.25 and 6.44 μg g(-1) in winter, monsoon and summer seasons respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of approach to equilibrium partitioning of PAHs between air and soil compartments and to determine the direction of net flux of the studied PAH between air and soil. Calculated soil-air fugacity quotients indicate that the soil may now be a source of some lighter weight PAHs to the atmosphere, whereas it appears to be still acting as a long-term sink for the heavier weight PAHs to some extent in this region.     

Occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic carbons in sludges from wastewater treatment plants in Guangdong, China

In this study, the occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in six sludge samples collected from Guangdong Province, China. Concentrations of PAHs varying from 2,534.1 to 6,926.6 μg kg^???1 (dry sludge) were observed in three municipal wastewater treatment plants with phenanthrene (Phe), fluoranthene, and pyrene being the main compounds. In addition, 682.6 μg kg^???1 PAHs were detected in one sludge sample from a food processing plant, with fluorene, Phe, and chrysene being the main components. No PAHs were detected in sludge samples obtained from two cosmetic plants. The levels and distributional characteristics of PAHs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic musks (PMs) from the samples were also compared. The results of this comparison indicated that petrochemical refineries and road traffic played important roles in the PAH loads in sludge, while PMs primarily originated from domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater from cosmetic plants. Finally, the presence of 98.8 μg kg^???1 PCBs in sludge suggested diffusional emission sources from electrical components containing PCBs.     

Seasonal variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil and air of Dalian areas, China: an assessment of soil-air exchange

The seasonal variations of concentrations of PAHs in the soil and the air were measured in urban and rural region of Dalian, China in 2007. In soil, mean concentrations of all PAHs in summer were larger than those in winter, whereas the concentrations of heavier weight PAHs in winter were larger than those in summer. Winter/summer concentration ratios for individual PAHs (R(W/S)) increased with the increase of molecular weight of PAHs in soil, indicating that PAHs with high molecular weight were more easily deposited to soil in winter than summer. In air, mean concentrations of all PAHs in winter were larger than those in summer. In comparison with the R(W/S) in soil, all the values of R(W/S) in air were larger than one indicating that the entire individual PAH concentrations in winter were larger than those in summer. The average concentration composition for each PAH compound in soil and air samples was determined and the seasonal change of PAH profile was very small. It was suggested that PAHs in soils and air had the same or similar sources both in winter and summer. The approach to the soil-air equilibrium was assessed by calculating fugacity quotients between soil and air using the soil and air concentrations. The calculated soil-air fugacity quotients indicated that soil acted as a secondary source to the atmosphere for all lighter weight PAHs (two-three rings) and it will continue to be a sink for heavier weight PAHs (five-six rings) in the Dalian environment, both in winter and summer. Medium weight PAHs (four-five rings) were close to the soil-air equilibrium and the tendency shifted between soil and air when season or function region changed. The fugacity quotients of PAHs in summer (mean temperature 298 K) were larger than those in winter (mean temperature 273 K), indicating a higher tendency in summer than winter for PAHs to move from soil to air. The variation of ambient conditions such as temperature, rainfall, etc. can influence the movement of PAHs between soil and air. Most of the fugacity quotients of PAHs for the urban sites were larger than that for the rural site both in winter and summer. This phenomenon may be related with that the temperatures in urban sites were higher than those in the rural site because of the urban heat island effect.     

Effects of pH and low molecular weight organic acids on competitive adsorption and desorption of cadmium and lead in paddy soils

The bioavailability and ultimate fate of heavy metals in the environment are controlled by adsorption-desorption process. Batch equilibrium experiments were performed to assess the effects of pH and low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) on competitive adsorption and desorption of cadmium and lead in paddy soils from China. The results indicated that both soils exhibited greater sorption capacity for lead (Pb) (1.37-1.61-fold) than cadmium (Cd) as estimated by the maximum sorption parameter (Q) from the Langmuir equation. The Langmuir bonding energy coefficient (b) and distribution coefficient (K (d)) were greater for Pb than for Cd, furthermore, b (binary) and K (d) (single) were greater than b (single) and K (d binary), indicating that competition for sorption sites promote the retention of both metals on more specific sorption sites. Both Cd and Pb desorption as a function of solution pH was characteristic of "S" pattern. The presence of LMWOAs inhibited Cd or Pb desorption at the low concentrations (≤0.1 mmol L(-1)) but promoted Cd and Pb desorption at higher concentrations (≥0.5 mmol L(-1) for citric acid and ≥1 mmol L(-1) for malic and oxalic acid). The two paddy soils had a greater d (Cd) than d (Pb) in the presence of LMWOAs, indicating that Cd desorption was more affected by the presence of LMWOAs in binary metal system.     

Occurrence of dissolved PAHs in the Jinsha River (Panzhihua)--upper reaches of the Yangtze River,Southwest China

16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in water samples from the Jinsha River (Panzhihua part), Southwest China. Total dissolved PAH concentrations varied from 21.89 microg l(-1) to 382.8 microg l(-1). It was found that the concentration of PAHs decreased along the flow direction due to the higher density distribution of coal chemical industry in the upstream of our study rivers. The pollution levels in our study area are significantly higher than previously reported values in other waters both in China and other countries. The predominance of benzo[k]fluoranthene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene was clearly observed in all water samples. On average these two compounds accounted for 98.3% of the total dissolved PAH concentration in water. The results showed the positive correlations among total dissolved PAHs, benzo[k]fluoranthene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, which suggested that these two predominant PAHs have similar source and environmental behaviors in our study area. When compared with the survey results of organic micropollutants two decades ago, it was found that hydrocarbon pollution both predominated and even increased with the development of coal chemical industry in this area during the past 20 years. The results therefore provide important information on the current contamination status of a key industrial city in China, and points to the need for urgent action to investigate the relationship between the PAH composition and concentration in water from the Jinsha River and the wastewater discharge from coal chemical industry, and to identify the source, transport pathway and fate of PAHs in the area. It should then be necessary to adopt appropriate and instant measures to control the pollution around this area.     

The fate of steroid estrogens: partitioning during wastewater treatment and onto river sediments

The partitioning of steroid estrogens in wastewater treatment and receiving waters is likely to influence their discharge to, and persistence in, the environment. This study investigated the partitioning behaviour of steroid estrogens in both laboratory and field studies. Partitioning onto activated sludge from laboratory-scale Husmann units was rapid with equilibrium achieved after 1 h. Sorption isotherms and Kd values decreased in the order 17??-ethinyl estradiol > 17??-estradiol > estrone > estriol without a sorption limit being achieved (1/n?>1). Samples from a wastewater treatment works indicated no accumulation of steroid estrogens in solids from primary or secondary biological treatment, however, a range of steroid estrogens were identified in sediment samples from the River Thames. This would indicate that partitioning in the environment may play a role in the long-term fate of estrogens, with an indication that they will be recalcitrant in anaerobic conditions.     

Partitioning and sources of PAHs in wastewater receiving streams of Tianjin,China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) partitioning among dissolved phase, suspended particulate matter, pore water, and sediment was studied in one moderately contaminated river (Yongding New River) and two highly contaminated drainage canals (South Drainage Canal and North Drainage Canal) of Tianjin, China. PAHs concentrations in sediment (ranged from 0.2 to 195 μg/g) showed positive relations with both total organic carbon contents (ranged from 0.7% to 31.1%, dw) and black carbon contents (ranged from 0.1% to 2.1%, dw) in the sediments. Moreover, most of the measured organic carbon normalized partition coefficients of PAHs in the three streams were 0.76 to 1.54 log units higher than the predicted values. These indicated that strong and nonlinear sorption of PAHs by carbonaceous geosorbents such as black carbon (BC) existed in the streams, and BC was an important part of the carbonaceous particles controlling the partitioning of PAHs in the sediments of this study. PAH component ratio analyses suggested that PAHs in the three streams, effluent samples from wastewater treatment plants, and soil samples by the riverbank had similar main sources, which is coal/petroleum combustion. We suggested the transportation and transformation of both carbonaceous particles and PAHs during wastewater treatment process, surface runoff, etc, should be studied further in order to make decisions on PAHs controlling measures.     

Tenax-TA extraction as predictor for free available content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in composted sewage sludges

The usability of the solid phase extraction method with Tenax-TA adsorbent for the forecasting of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon losses during sewage sludges composting has been evaluated in the present study. Four municipal sewage sludges were composted for 76 days. The PAH content in the sludges ranged from 3674 to 11 236 microg kg(-1). After composting, a significant reduction of PAH content was observed. The range of the PAH sum loss ranged from 29.3 to 48.6%. The share of fraction extracted by Tenax-TA in the sludges at the onset of the composting ranged from 28.1 to 54.0% in relation to the PAH sum, and from 0.31 to 100% for individual PAHs. After 76 days of composting, the presence of Tenax-TA extracted PAHs was still observed in the sludges. A significant reduction of this fraction was noted in the case of three sewage sludges. PAH's Tenax-TA fraction in the case of one sewage sludge did not undergo any changes during composting. A satisfactory prediction of PAH losses by the Tenax-TA method was rarely observed. The best reflection of the PAH losses was observed in the case of fluoranthene, anthracene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene.     

Determination of gaseous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by a simple direct method using thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In the last decade, the development of novel analytical methodologies enabled the identification of several environmental pollutants responsible for health problems associated with indoor exposure. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the potential hazardous chemicals present in ambient air. Due to their bioaccumulation potential and carcinogenic/mutagenic effects, 16 PAHs are currently listed as priority air pollutants. The main goal of this work was to implement a new and simple method for sampling and determination of PAHs in air by using a thermal desorption (TD) technique followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry analysis. A detailed study was carried out to optimise the experimental method in each of its phases, including (active) sampling, TD and chromatographic analysis. The results demonstrate that this approach allowed the detection and quantification of the six more volatile PAHs, namely, naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and anthracene. Acceptable precision and good linearity over the explored range were obtained. No carry-over was observed during experimental tests and the method provided a reproducible answer. The applicability of the novel methodology was tested in real environment, namely, on the roof of a building in an urban area, in a domestic kitchen and in a collective car garage. The method enabled the identification of two PAHs in the field samples, specifically, naphthalene (two rings) and phenanthrene (three rings). With regard to PAHs sample composition, the most abundant PAH found, in the three different locations, was naphthalene, accounting for about 84–100 % of the total PAH mass detected.     

Occurrence, source apportionment and toxicity assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of Chaohu, one of the most polluted lakes in China

In order to evaluate the effect of local anthropogenic activities on Chaohu Lake, one of the most eutrophicated lakes in China, surface sediments have been collected from the whole lake with 0.05 × 0.05 degree latitude/longitude resolution and in the estuaries of three main inflowing rivers. The concentrations of the 28 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) determined were in a range 82.4-13,000 ng g(-1) with an average value of 1670 ng g(-1) dry weight for total 28 PAHs (referred to as Σ(28)PAH). Amongst the 28 PAHs, 16 are listed as high priority PAHs by the USEPA and they were in the range of 60.8-10,200 ng g(-1) with an average value of 1230 ng g(-1) for the total of them (referred to as Σ(16)PAH); 7 are known as carcinogenic PAHs and their levels ranged from 34.2 to 6400 ng g(-1) with an average of 815 ng g(-1) in total (referred to as Σ(7)PAH). Chaohu Lake was considered significantly polluted by PAHs through the comparison with the PAH burdens in fresh-water lakes both in China and worldwide. Toxic units (TUs) evaluation showed some sampling locations possibly were over the median lethal level for benthic invertebrate. The highest PAH concentrations were found in sediments from the Nanfei River estuary, suggesting the major contributor of PAHs contamination to the lake. The PAHs with four and five rings were found to be dominant among the PAHs detected in all of the sediment samples, and perylene was the most abundant. Σ(16)PAH had a good correlation with those PAHs from pyrogenic sources, such as anthracene and phenanthrene, but a poor correlation with perylene. The results demonstrated that the environmental behavior of PAHs from pyrogenic sources is significantly different to that of perylene from diagenetic sources. The PAHs in sediments were mainly from traffic-related emission by qualitatively assessing with the diagnostic ratios of PAH isomers, and the ratios for low molecular weight PAHs were strongly altered during their transport.     

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and geochemical biomarker composition of sediments from sea lochs on the west coast of Scotland

Sediments from twelve sea lochs on the west coast of Scotland were analysed for parent and branched 2- to 6-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), n-alkanes and geochemical biomarkers (triterpanes). Where possible at least fourteen sediment samples were collected at random from each sea loch. All sea lochs were remote, most had limited industrial and urban inputs, although all had fish farms. Four lochs had moderate total PAH concentrations and eight lochs had high total PAH concentrations. Total PAH concentration was related to organic carbon content and particle size distribution, with sandier sediments having lower PAH concentrations. The highest total PAH concentrations, normalised for organic carbon, were in Loch Linnhe and Ballachulish Bay (Loch Leven), close to an aluminium smelter. PAH concentration ratios showed that pyrolysis was the main source of PAHs in most lochs. Only sediments from Loch Clash showed evidence of petrogenic input based on their geochemical biomarker (triterpane and sterane) and n-alkane profiles. PAH profiles were similar across lochs apart from Loch Linnhe and Ballachulish Bay, which had a greater proportion of heavy parent PAHs. West coast sediments had a smaller proportion of heavy PAHs than sediments collected from voes in Shetland and a smaller proportion of alkylated PAHs relative to sediments collected from coastal waters around Orkney.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in clams Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The concentration of sixteen individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was measured in the clam Ruditapes decussatus whole soft tissues from several places of the Ria Formosa lagoon (Portugal). Total PAH (tPAH) concentrations were higher in the summer (August) and winter (January) than in the other months and the distribution pattern of the individual PAHs was generally dominated by the 4 aromatic ring PAHs, followed by the 2 + 3 aromatic rings PAHs. Benzo[a]anthracene and acenaphthene were the most representative PAHs of the two fractions. Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed that, in the Ria Formosa, seasonal variations are more important than spatial variations, due to changes in PAH source. These sources ranged from petrogenic to pyrolytic or a mixture of both. The origin of clam PAHs was also assessed by partial least squares (PLS) analysis using nineteen different PAH signatures, taken from the literature. It was possible to identify boat traffic, especially in the summer, as one of the most relevant PAH sources to the Ria Formosa. The influence of boat traffic was revealed by several signatures including diesel soot, oil and weathered oil and a mixture of different individual PAHs usually found in harbour sediments. Other relevant sources included combustion of organic matter such as forest fires and diverse domestic activities, occurring mainly in the summer. Most of the clams were considered safe for human consumption, except for some point samples, which presented unusually high PAH concentrations, suggesting the need for a regular survey of PAHs in clam tissues.     

Distribution and source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface soil along main transportation routes in Jiaxing City, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16 EPA-PAHs) in urban surface soil from Jiaxing City were determined using HPLC. The total concentration of 16 EPA-PAHs was detected from 18.73 to 441.34 pg/g. Individual PAH occupation analysis demonstrates that four-ring PAHs comprise as much as 44.16% and were prevalent in the composition of PAH pollutants. The other components were two-ring PAHs (7.36%), three-ring PAHs (17.28%), five-ring PAHs (16.16%), and six-ring PAHs (15.04%). Source analysis on the characteristic ratios of anthracene(Ane)/[Ane+phenanthrene(Phe)], fluoranthene(Fla)/[Fla+pyrene(Pyr)], and benzo[a]pyrene(Bap)/benzo[g,h,i]perylene(Bgp) reveals that PAH pollutants originated mainly from coal combustion, but vehicular emission as a source was not negligible. All PAHs discussed in the paper have similar source in most sampling sites. The spatial distributions of pollution sources were closely related to geographic location, geographic condition, and living habit of indigenes. A linear relationship between 2-3-ring PAHs, 4-6-ring PAHs, SOM, and ∑PAHs were investigated and significant correlativity were expatiated lastly. It revealed that coefficient between 2-3-ring PAHs and ∑PAHs is 0.56, between 4-6-ring PAHs and ∑PAHs is 0.99, between SOM and ∑PAHs is 0.82.     

Propanil in a Manitoba soil: an interactive spreadsheet model based on conventional chemical kinetics

An interactive spreadsheet model has been created for quantitative predictions of propanil sorption and reaction in a slurried Manitoba clay soil. Based on experimental values for the numbers of empty and filled sorption sites as reactants and products, the reaction mechanism has been described with conventional chemical kinetics. The on line HPLC μ extraction method revealed labile sorption, intraparticle diffusion, and a chemical reaction. Laidler's integral rate law for second order kinetics describes the labile sorption. Desorption, intraparticle diffusion, and the chemical reaction are all described by first order kinetics. The time dependent effects of initial concentration and amount of slurried soil can be predicted for sorption, intraparticle diffusion, and the amount of reaction product. Suggested applications include storm runoff and inputs for fate and transport hydrology models.     

Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dibenzothiophenes in wetland sediments and aquatic insects in the oil sands area of Northeastern Alberta, Canada

An immense volume of tailings and tailings water is accumulating in tailings ponds located on mine leases in the oil sands area of Alberta, Canada. Oil sands mining companies have proposed to use tailings- and tailings water-amended lakes and wetlands as part of their mine remediation plans. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances of concern in oil sands tailings and tailings water. In this study, we determined concentrations of PAHs in sediments, insect larvae and adult insects collected in or adjacent to three groups of wetlands: experimental wetlands to which tailings or tailings water had been purposely added, oil sands wetlands that were located on the mine leases but which had not been experimentally manipulated and reference wetlands located near the mine leases. Alkylated PAHs dominated the PAH profile in all types of samples in the three categories of wetlands. Median and maximum PAH concentrations, especially alkylated PAH concentrations, tended to be higher in sediments and insect larvae in experimental wetlands than in the other types of wetlands. Such was not the case for adult insects, which contained higher than expected levels of PAHs in the three types of ponds. Overlap in PAH concentrations in larvae among pond types suggests that any increase in PAH levels resulting from the addition of tailings and tailings water to wetlands would be modest. Biota-sediment accumulation factors were higher for alkylated PAHs than for their parent counterparts and were lower in experimental wetlands than in oil sands and reference wetlands. Research is needed to examine factors that affect the bioavailability of PAHs in oil sands tailings- or tailings water-amended wetlands.