Abstract
Creosote is a multicomponent oil classified as a dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) produced from coal tar distillation. The concept of phase distribution is critical in decision-making to remediate contaminated sites. The creosote mass transfer between sorbed, aqueous, vapor, and DNAPL phases is controlled by physicochemical characteristics, geology of the site, and environment conditions. This study evaluated phase distribution of the main polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of creosote in a sandy soil with low organic matter content. The creosote was collected from a contaminated site in São Paulo, Brazil, and was characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Clean soil was collected upgradient from the same area. Initially, the soil was artificially contaminated with creosote. After, the contaminated soil was put in contact with clean water in sealed vials for 72 h. Samples of the soil, vapor, and liquid phases were collected and analyzed by GC-MS. In total, 50 compounds were identified in the creosote, and 9 PAHs were selected to be studied, which represented around 30% of total creosote mass. The major contaminant concentration was detected in the sorbed phase. For instance, naphthalene mass was distributed in sorbed (33.0%), DNAPL (1.5%), aqueous (3.4%), and vapor (0.2%) phases. The results provided an understanding of the contaminant species partitioning that occurs in a real contaminated site.
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Abbreviations
- ACE:
-
Acenaphthene
- ANT:
-
Anthracene
- BAA:
-
Benz[a]anthracene
- DCM:
-
Dichloromethane
- DNAPL:
-
Dense non-aqueous phase liquid
- FLT:
-
Fluoranthene
- FLU:
-
Fluorene
- GC-MS:
-
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
- MNAP:
-
2-Methylnaphthalene
- NAP:
-
Naphthalene
- NAPL:
-
Non-aqueous phase liquid
- PAHs:
-
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- PHE:
-
Phenanthrene
- PYR:
-
Pyrene
- SVOC:
-
Semi-volatile organic compound
- UQG:
-
Unquantified group
- US EPA:
-
United States Environmental Protection Agency
- VOC:
-
Volatile organic compound
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Project PROCAD No. 88887.124192/2014-00), to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Process No. 140302/2016-6), and to the Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (IPT) for providing the clean soil and creosote samples used in this study.
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Macêdo Aranha, R., A. Magalhães, V.M., P. Mendes, G. et al. Characterization and Partitioning Behavior of Creosote in Different Matrices: Soil, Water, and Air. Water Air Soil Pollut 231, 402 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04772-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04772-y