Altered Mobility of benz[a]anthracene in the Presence of p-xylene and Its Impact on Risk in the Subsurface

Abstract

Concerns over soil and groundwater contamination by PAHs have been raised as they are often introduced into the subsurface as nonaqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) mixtures. However, characterizing the risk posed by a mixture of chemicals is a challenging task due to its uncertainty in quantifying the effects of the interaction between substances. This study focuses on the effects of phase-transforming interaction on the fate, transport, and risk assessment of a PAH in a PAH - NAPL mixture. The cell test was carried out using benz[a]anthracene (BaA) and p-xylene to verify the increased mobility of highly sorbed pollutants in the presence of less sorbed, mobile liquid pollutants. The experimental results showed that BaA had greater mobility in the presence of p-xylene than in its absence. The main transport mechanisms in the vadose zone were by dissolution into p-xylene or water. The developed model showed that transport of BaA was significantly faster in the presence of NAPL, but needs improvement. As well, risk assessment indicated that the oral carcinogenic risk of BaA calculated with the concentration in groundwater was 15∼87 times larger when mixed with NAPL than when present as a single contaminant. This study demonstrated that consideration of phase-transforming interaction is necessary to analyze the risk of a PAH - NAPL mixture. The improvement of the transport model will be the topic of our continuing research.