PAH-sequestration capacity of granular and powder activated carbon amendments in soil, and their effects on earthworms and plants.

A field lysimeter study was carried out to investigate whether the amendment of 2% powder and granular activated carbon (PAC and GAC) to a soil with moderate PAH contamination had an impact on the PAH bioaccumulation of earthworms and plants, since AC is known to be a strong sorbent for organic pollutants. Furthermore, secondary effects of AC on plants and earthworms were studied through growth and nutrient uptake, and survival and weight gain. Additionally, the effect of AC amendments on soil characteristics like pH, water holding capacity, and the water retention curve of the soil were investigated.

Activated carbon amendment to sequester PAHs in contaminated soil: a lysimeter field trial.

Activated carbon (AC) amendment is an innovative method for the in situ remediation of contaminated soils. A field-scale AC amendment of either 2% powder or granular AC (PAC and GAC) to a PAH contaminated soil was carried out in Norway. The PAH concentration in drainage water from the field plot was measured with a direct solvent extraction and by deploying polyoxymethylene (POM) passive samplers.

A 700 year sediment record of black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons near the EMEP air monitoring station in Aspvreten, Sweden.

In view of poor constraints on historical combustion emissions, past environmental loadings of black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) were reconstructed from dated lake sediment cores collected 70 km south of Stockholm, Sweden. Compared to several dramatic variations over the recent 150 years, the preindustrial loading were steady within +/-50% through the entire medieval with BC fluxes of 0.071 g m(-2) yr(-1) and PAH fluxes of 6 microg m(-2) yr(-1).

Effect of sorbate planarity on environmental black carbon sorption.

Soot and charcoal, collectively termed "black carbon" or BC, can exhibit extremely strong sorption of many hydrophobic organic compounds. In order to include BC sorption in fate models, it is important to know BC nanopore surface areas. In addition, it is useful to know for which compounds BC sorption can be expected to be important.