Maximum capacities for adsorption of phenanthrene in the slowly and very slowly desorbing domains in nineteen soils and sediments.

The maximum amounts of phenanthrene that can be taken up in both the slowly desorbing domain and the very slowly desorbing domain of 19 soils and sediments were determined by measuring the desorption of phenanthrene added at high loadings associated with equilibrium concentrations in water close to the aqueous solubility of phenanthrene. For two soils and one sediment, literature values for Langmuir phenanthrene adsorption capacities were available. These values were almost equal to the sum of the maximum amounts taken up in the slowly and in the very slowly desorbing domain.