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Partitioning of Aromatic Constituents into Water from Jet Fuels

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Abstract

A comprehensive study of the most commonly used jet fuels (i.e., Jet A-1 and JP-8) was performed to properly assess potential contamination of the subsurface environment from a leaking underground storage tank occurred in an airport. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the concentration ranges of the major components in the water-soluble fraction of jet fuels and to estimate the jet fuel–water partition coefficients (K fw) for target compounds using partitioning experiments and a polyparameter linear free-energy relationship (PP-LFER) approach. The average molecular weight of Jet A-1 and JP-8 was estimated to be 161 and 147 g/mole, respectively. The density of Jet A-1 and JP-8 was measured to be 786 and 780 g/L, respectively. The distribution of nonpolar target compounds between the fuel and water phases was described using a two-phase liquid–liquid equilibrium model. Models were derived using Raoult’s law convention for the activity coefficients and the liquid solubility. The observed inverse, log–log linear dependence of the K fw values on the aqueous solubility were well predicted by assuming jet fuel to be an ideal solvent mixture. The experimental partition coefficients were generally well reproduced by PP-LFER.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funding from the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Fund Management Board of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, 62 Shen-Chung Road, Yanchao, Kaohsiung, 824, Taiwan

    Chien-Jung Tien, Shih-Rong Ciou & Colin S. Chen

  2. Department of Chemistry, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, 824, Taiwan

    Youn-Yuen Shu

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  1. Chien-Jung Tien
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  2. Youn-Yuen Shu
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  3. Shih-Rong Ciou
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  4. Colin S. Chen
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Correspondence to Colin S. Chen.

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Tien, CJ., Shu, YY., Ciou, SR. et al. Partitioning of Aromatic Constituents into Water from Jet Fuels. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 69, 153–162 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0154-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0154-7

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