Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) released by bottom sediments were determined by experiments in which the sediments were artificially resuspended using sediment contaminated with PCBs in a particle entrainment simulator (PES). Sediment cores, spikedwith PCBs, were collected from the Housatonic River in Connecticut and run in the PES at simulated shear stresses from 0 to 0.6 N m-2. Experimental results from these simulations have shown that mean concentration of PCBs in thesolid phase for sites with high volatile organic carbon (VOC) were significantly greater than samples with low VOC; the reversewas true for the water phase. In addition, on a mass load basis,the amount of PCBs found in sediment increased when shear stresses were increased from 0 to 0.6 N m-2, beyond which shear stress did not affect mass loads in the watercolumn. Partition coefficients (K p) were determined from PESsediment and water data for the following congeners: PCB 28, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB 138, PCB 153, PCB 180. K p was determined to be inversely proportional to total suspended solids (TSS), butdirectly proportional to chlorine content of the congener. Because of the strong influence of TSS and VOC concentrations onK p values, agitation of samples using a PES better simulatedreal environmental conditions when compared to jar studies where no agitation was employed. Therefore, a device like the PES is more appropriate in obtaining K p that would be found underreal stream flow conditions when compared to the traditionalway of measuring K p using the jar study technique.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alkhatib, E. and Castor, K.: 2000, 'Parameters influencing sediment resuspension and link to sorption of inorganic compounds', Environ. Monit. Assess. 65, 531–546.
AWWA: 1995, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, American Water Works Association.
Bloesch, J.: 1994, 'A review of methods used to measure sediment resuspension', Hydrobiologia 284, 13–18.
Borglin, S., Wilke, A., Jepsen, R. and Lick, W.: 1996, 'Parameters affecting the desorption of hydrophobic organic chemicals from suspended sediments', Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 15, 2254–2262.
Brannon, J. M., Myers, T. E., Gunnison, D. and Price, C. E.: 1991, 'Nonconstant polychlorinated biphenyl partitioning in New Bedford Harbor sediment during sequential batch leaching', Environ. Sci. Technol. 25, 1082–1087.
Brown, J.: 1994, 'Determination of PCB metabolic excretion and accumulation rates for use as indicators of biological response and relative risk', Environ. Sci. Technol. 28, 2295–2305.
Chiou, C. T., Porter, P. E. and Schmedding, D. W.: 1983, 'Partition equilibria of nonionic organic compounds between soil organic matter and water', Environ. Sci. Technol. 17, 227–231.
Frink, C. R., Sawheny, B. L., Kulp, K. P. and Fredette, C. G.: 1982, Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Housatonic River Sediments in Massachusetts and Connecticut: Determination, Distribution and Transport, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin no. 800.
Kimbrough, R. and Jensen, A.: 1989, in Topics in Environmental Health, Vol. 4, Elsevier, New York.
Kulp, K. P.: 1991, Concentration and Transport of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Housatonic River between Great Barrington, Massachusetts Kent, Connecticut, U.S Geological Survey.
Lee, D. Y., Lick, W. and Kang, S. W.: 1981, 'The entrainment and deposition of fine-grained sediments in Lake Erie', J. Great Lakes Res. 22, 224–233.
Lick, W.: 1986, 'A portable device for measuring resuspension', J. Great Lakes Res. 12, 314–321.
Lick, W. and Rapaka, V.: 1996, 'A quantitative analysis of the dynamics of the sorption of hydrophobic organic chemicals to suspended sediment', Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 15, 1038–1048.
Mackay D., Shiu, W. Y. and Ching, M. K: 1991, Illustrated Handbook of Physical Chemical Properties and Environmental Fate for Organic Chemicals, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida.
Raccanelli, S., Pavoni, B., Marcomini, A. and Orio, A. A.: 1989, 'Polychlorinated biphenyl pollution caused by resuspension of surface sediments in the Lagoon of Venice', Sci. Total Environ. 79, 111–123.
USEPA: 1986, Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste: Physical/Chemical Methods, 3rd ed., USEPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Washington D.C.
Voice, T. C. and Weber: 1985, 'Sorbent concentration effects in liquid/solid partitioning', Environ. Sci. Technol. 19, 859.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alkhatib, E., Weigand, C. Parameters Affecting Partitioning of 6 PCB Congeners in Natural Sediments. Environ Monit Assess 78, 1–17 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016180422675
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016180422675