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Vertical transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different particle-size fractions of sandy soils

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Vertical transport of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in different particle-size fractions of sandy soils was investigated by simulation experiments in soil columns. Tested soil samples were fractionized into three particle-sizes including sand, coarse silt and fine silt (2,000–50, 50–20 and <20 μm). Rainfall simulations were conducted in artificially PAHs contaminated soil columns with 30 cm length and 5 cm diameter in 40 days. PAHs were extracted from soil samples and determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that the residue level of PAHs in fine silt fraction reached 35.85 mg/kg, which was significantly higher than those in sand and coarse silt fraction (16.28 and 11.80 mg/kg, respectively), probably because PAHs in macroporous fractions were prone to volatilize or degrade compared with that in microporous fractions. Linear relationship between the residue levels of individual PAH (R PAHs) and the value of partition coefficient (log K oc) was regressed as R PAHs = 1.55 × log K oc − 5.86, R 2 = 0.91, n = 9. These results indicated that vertical transport of the mixed PAHs in soils were controlled both by the nature of PAHs (i.e. log K oc, molecular weight), soil particle size and soil organic contents, which could influence the transport of PAHs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate China National Basic Research Program for the funding of this research (no. 2004CB418501 and 2003CB415007). We are also grateful to ** Xu, Dr. Nandong Xue, Dr. Youya Zhou, Dr. Guanlin Guo, for their valuable comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Bei**g, 100083, China

    Yue** Zhang, Shuquan Zhu & Juan Wang

  2. Department of Soil Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Bei**g, 100012, China

    Yue** Zhang & Fasheng Li

  3. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Bei**g, Bei**g, 100083, China

    Ru **ao

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  1. Yue** Zhang
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  2. Shuquan Zhu
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  4. Juan Wang
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  5. Fasheng Li
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Correspondence to Fasheng Li.

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Zhang, Y., Zhu, S., **ao, R. et al. Vertical transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different particle-size fractions of sandy soils. Environ Geol 53, 1165–1172 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0706-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0706-x

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