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Bioavailability And Bioaccumulation Of Sediment-Associated, Desorption-Resistant Fraction Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contaminants, Xiaoxia Lu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study is directed toward identifying and characterizing the bioavailability of both reversibly sorbed and desorption-resistant fraction of hydrophobic organic contaminants in natural biologically active sediments and the corresponding consequences to prediction, control and regulation of these contaminants. The focus is on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with particular emphasis on phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene. A quantity of well-characterized and extensively desorbed sediments was prepared by desorbing the lab-inoculated sediment with an isopropanol and electrolyte solution. This procedure was proved to be a very effective method to prepare sediments containing contaminants largely limited to a desorption-resistant compartment. Accumulation of contaminants in the …