Proximity of Field Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons to Chemical Equilibria among Air, Water, Soil, and Sediment and Its Implications to the Coherence Criteria of Environmental Quality Objectives

Abstract

The proximity of PAHs distribution to the equilibrium states among air, soil, water, and bottom sediment was assessed for future risk management and coherence test among environmental quality objectives (EQOs) in these media. Concurrently measured concentration data in the four media were used. In the study areas (Seoul, Shihwa/Banwol, and Taegu), nonequilibrium states prevailed among air, soil, and water except for some light PAHs between air and water. Elevated concentration in soil particularly caused significant deviation from equilibrium between soil and other media. Coherence criteria among these media should be determined based on steady state (not equilibrium) conditions. Sediment was in or near equilibrium with soil for all PAHs, indicating that sediment quality is closely related to soil quality and that the coherence between the EQOs of the two media is required in the study areas. As the concentration ratio of individual PAHs for a given medium pair was found to vary up to 4 orders of magnitude across the study areas, a factor of 10 as a threshold criterion for incoherence is apparently too strict to apply to the national scale of Korea.

Laccase-Carrying Electrospun Fibrous Membranes for Adsorption and Degradation of PAHs in Shoal Soils

“…PAHs are strongly hydrophobic and are difficult to dissolve in water. This property makes it easy for PAHs to adsorb onto soil particles but difficult for them to dissociate from these particles . Therefore, PAHs in soils are of low bioavailability, have poor degradability, and are difficult to be removed from the soils. , For this reason, the phase transfer of PAHs (from soils to another available mediator) is crucial for the purification of soils. , Much effort has been made to extract PAHs from soil particles.…”

Fabrication of a novel immobilization system and its application for removal of anthracene from soil

“…Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have become ubiquitous pollutants in the ecosystem, as a result of fossil fuel combustion, the release of petroleum, and improper disposal and accidents during transport [1,2]. Since their toxicity, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity with respect to both environment and human health [3,4], 16 PAHs have been listed as priority pollutants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).…”