Abstract
More than 2300 sediment pore water distribution coefficients (K PCBi ds) of 93 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured and modeled from sediments from Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal. KPCBi ds were calculated from previously reported bulk sediment values and newly analyzed pore water. PCBs in pore waters were measured using SPME PDMS-fiber and ΣPCB ranged from 41 to 1500 ng L-1. The resulting K PCBi ds were ∼1 log unit lower in comparison to other reported values. A simple model for the KPCBi d consisted of the product of the organic carbon fraction and the octanol-water partition coefficient and provided an excellent prediction for the measured values, with a mean square error of 0.09 ± 0.06. Although black carbon content is very high in these sediments and was expected to play an important role in the distribution of PCBs, no improvement was obtained when a two-carbon model was used.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 357-363 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Environmental Pollution |
Volume | 182 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2013 |
Keywords
- Aliphatic compounds
- Black carbon
- Organic carbon
- PCBs
- Sediment pore water distribution coefficients