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The Influence of Soil Mechanical Redesigning on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Release: a Column Approach

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Abstract

Intrinsic molecular parameters (solubility, chemical structure, etc.) as well as physico-chemical properties of the medium (lithology, permeability, organic matter content, etc.) and hydrological specificities (rainfall regimes) are usually put forward to characterize the mobility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Here, we study the role of aggregate mechanical redesigning on the ability of anciently impacted soils to release polycyclic hydrocarbons. Soil columns were collected in a heavily impacted wasteland (Villeneuve la Garenne, France) for this purpose and submitted to continuous and sequential leaching regimes. The soil’s organo-mineral properties were characterized with suited techniques (Rock Eval, FT/IR) prior to the leaching experiments. The release of 18 PAHs (naphthalene, 1 methyl naphthalene, 2 methyl naphthalene, acenaphtylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, chrysene, benz(b)fluoranthene, benz(k)fluoranthene; benzo(a)pyrene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, benzo(g,h,i) perylene) was assayed under non-disturbed configuration of the columns, then under reshuffled (10 mm), and finely sieved (4 mm) states in order to evaluate the impact of grain redistribution on the mobilization of the aromatic molecules. For both sequential and continuous leaching regimes, results showed a substantial increase of released amounts when the systems were disturbed. Significant increases of PAH concentrations were indeed observed when the columns were reshuffled (10 mm). The release was more intense when the mechanical reworking was performed with a smaller threshold (4 mm). Greater accessibility of the molecules drove very likely PAH release during the mechanical reworking operations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the INNOVASOL consortium for funding and supporting this study. Special thanks are extended to Marian Mombrun and Léa Pigot for their technical and analytical contributions. We are also grateful to Clotilde Thompson for reviewing the linguistic coherence of the text.

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  1. Georessources and Environnement EA 4592, Bordeaux INP and Université de Bordeaux Montaigne, ENSEGID, 1 Allée F. Daguin, 33607, Pessac, France

    Adoum Mahamat Ahmat, Grégory Cohen & Olivier Atteia

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  1. Adoum Mahamat Ahmat
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  2. Grégory Cohen
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  3. Olivier Atteia
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Correspondence to Adoum Mahamat Ahmat.

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Appendix

Appendix

Fig. 9
figure 9

Temporal evolutions of the studied PAH concentrations under both leaching regimes

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Fig. 10
figure 10

PAH mean dissolved concentrations measured under continuous leaching regime (rate of flow F/2 = 0.66 mL min−1). (B) Ratio of concentrations measured on the soil particles and those measured in the liquid phase at saturation (mean values at flow F/2 = 0.66 mL min−1)

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Fig. 11
figure 11

Physico-chemical characteristics (water solubility, water diffusion coefficients, and liquid/solid partition constants Kd) of the studied PAHs. Since Kd value evolves following the study context, it is expressed in domains of variability collected in the literature

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Fig. 12
figure 12

Light PAHs (M < 200 g mol−1) concentrations versus leaching time (saturated regime, second flow rate)

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Fig. 13
figure 13

Heavy PAHs (M > 200 g mol−1) concentrations versus leaching time (saturated regime, second flow rate)

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Fig. 14
figure 14

Comparison of leached PAH under saturation with two flow rates. First flow rate F = 1.33 mL min−1, second flow rate F/2 = 0.66 mL min−1

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Ahmat, A.M., Cohen, G. & Atteia, O. The Influence of Soil Mechanical Redesigning on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Release: a Column Approach. Water Air Soil Pollut 230, 148 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-019-4140-y

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