twitter

Thursday, 21 April 2016

April 20, April 21

April 20
1769 Ottawa Chief Pontiac is murdered by an Indian in Cahokia.
1770 Captain Cook discovers Australia.
1879 The first mobile home (horse-drawn) is used in a journey from London to Cyprus.


Born on April 20
1893 Joan Miró, Spanish painter.
Joan Miró: A fine line http://gu.com/p/2zc9t/stw

Volume 148, April 2016, Pages 495–503

Photodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils under a climate change base scenario



Highlights

PAH photodegradation depends on exposure time, molecular weight and soil texture.
Semiconductor minerals in fine-textured regosol soil enhance PAH photodegradation.
Microtox® shows a higher detoxification over time in fine-textured soil.
δ2H confirmed benzo(a)pyrene degradation, highlighting the potential of CSIA.

Abstract

The photodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in two typical Mediterranean soils, either coarse- or fine-textured, was here investigated. Soil samples, spiked with the 16 US EPA priority PAHs, were incubated in a climate chamber at stable conditions of temperature (20 °C) and light (9.6 W m−2) for 28 days, simulating a climate change base scenario. PAH concentrations in soils were analyzed throughout the experiment, and correlated with data obtained by means of Microtox® ecotoxicity test. Photodegradation was found to be dependent on exposure time, molecular weight of each hydrocarbon, and soil texture. Fine-textured soil was able to enhance sorption, being PAHs more photodegraded than in coarse-textured soil. According to the EC50 values reported by Microtox®, a higher detoxification was observed in fine-textured soil, being correlated with the outcomes of the analytical study. Significant photodegradation rates were detected for a number of PAHs, namely phenanthrene, anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, and indeno(123-cd)pyrene. Benzo(a)pyrene, commonly used as an indicator for PAH pollution, was completely removed after 7 days of light exposure. In addition to the PAH chemical analysis and the ecotoxicity tests, a hydrogen isotope analysis of benzo(a)pyrene was also carried out. The degradation of this specific compound was associated to a high enrichment in 2H, obtaining a maximum δ2H isotopic shift of +232‰. This strong isotopic effect observed in benzo(a)pyrene suggests that compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) may be a powerful tool to monitor in situ degradation of PAHs. Moreover, hydrogen isotopes of benzo(a)pyrene evidenced a degradation process of unknown origin occurring in the darkness.

Keywords

  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs);
  • Photodegradation;
  • Soil;
  • Ecotoxicity;
  • Hydrogen isotopes
Corresponding author.