University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal
Gewählte Master / Diploma Thesis:
Tikeshwari Joshi Uprety
(2008):
PAH-adsorption by alluvial soils of the Danube, Ebro and Elbe Rivers.
Master / Diploma Thesis,
BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur,
pp 75.
UB BOKU
obvsg
- Abstract:
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the environment and are viewed as priority pollutants due to their toxic, carcinogenic or mutagenic properties. PAHs occur naturally as a by-product of incomplete combustion. Because of their low solubility and high affinity for organic carbon, PAHs in aquatic systems are primarily found sorbed to particles that either have settled to the bottom or are suspended in the water. Compared with other PAH species; naphthalene is one of the most frequent in the environment. Therefore, naphthalene is usually adopted as a model compound to examine the environmental and health aspects of PAHs. In this study, the sorption of naphthalene and its derivatives 1-naphthol and 1-naphthylamine on four alluvial soils of the Danube, Ebro and Elbe Rivers has been determined by batch sorption experiments. The concentrations of the contaminants were determined by HPLC (UVD, FLD). Results of the sorption experiments with naphthalene and its derivatives revealed the impact of soil development on the sorption capacity of soil. The behavior of the investigated organic substances was governed by their functional groups. Results revealed that the sorption of 1-naphthylamine was significantly higher on Elbe, while on the other hand the sorption of 1-naphthol was significantly higher on Danube and Ebro soils. In contrast, the sorption of naphthalene was significantly lower on all soils of Danube, Elbe and Ebro Rivers. A strong correlation was found between the organic carbon content of soils and the sorption coefficient for naphthalene (r = 1). This suggests that organic carbon content plays an important role in controlling the PAHs levels in alluvial soils. Sorption of 1-naphthol and 1-naphthylamine was mainly influenced by soil pH.
- Beurteilende(r): Blum Winfried E.H.