Black Carbon in Sediment/Soil Aggregates: Quantification and Characterization by Electron Microscopy and Impacts on the Sorption of Organic Compounds

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

0607136 Gschwend This project seeks to develop electron microscopy methods to quantify black carbon (soot and char) in sediments and soils in greater detail than has been achieved previously. The PIs hypothesize that these black carbon particles often are the cause of both past overestimates of equilibrium chemical activities of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOC) in sediments and soils and the slow transfers of HOCs between the solids and fluids/biota. This research will improve the ability of environmental managers to rationally allocate resources to clean up hazardous sites; having a more accurate means to assess HOC mobility and bioavailability in sediments and soils will improve remediation designs that require HOC mobility or bioavailability. The results of this project will be valuable to other researchers and environmental engineers developing and implementing remediation solutions and the work may result in a new risk assessment paradigm (based on kinetic models) for contaminated soils and sediments. The PIs have extensive experience with harbor sediments and have chosen relevant sediments and soils from localities where considerable information exists to facilitate their work.