Partitioning of CPs, PCDEs, and PCDD/Fs between Particulate and Experimentally Enhanced Dissolved Natural Organic Matter in a Contaminated Soil

Abstract

We determined the distribution of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) to fractions of natural organic matter in a soil contaminated by chlorophenol wood preservatives more than 30 years ago. The concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM) was enhanced in soil suspensions by raising pH to 6.8-9.1. After 48 h of desorption/equilibration, the DOM fraction was separated from the particulate organic matter (POM) of the soil by filtration. In the next step, DOM was flocculated by Al-nitrate, and free concentrations of HOCs were determined in the aqueous phase. The HOCs associated with DOM and POM were extracted with toluene. No significant differences in gross carbon chemistry were detected between DOM and POM, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Normalized to organic C, chlorophenols (CPs) showed a similar degree of partitioning between DOM and POM, whereas the partitioning of polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and furans (PCDD/Fs) was highly shifted toward POM. The partitioning to POM, relative to DOM, increased in the order PCDE < PCDF < PCDD, reflecting the hydrophobicity of the compounds.