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Partitioning of hydrophobic contaminants in the vadose zone in the presence of a nonaqueous phase
Author(s) -
Schaefer C. E.,
Unger D. R.,
Kosson D. S.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/98wr01905
Subject(s) - vadose zone , toluene , contamination , dodecane , environmental chemistry , phase (matter) , sink (geography) , soil water , adsorption , environmental science , soil science , chemistry , organic chemistry , ecology , biology , cartography , geography
Partitioning behavior of organic contaminants in the vadose zone may be influenced by the presence of a nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL). The bulk NAPL phase not only serves as a sink for hydrophobic contaminants but may also cover a significant fraction of the soil surface, reducing the surface area available for vapor‐solid adsorption. Experiments were carried out to examine the applicability of binary partitioning parameters when applied to a multiphase system. Dodecane was used as the model NAPL phase, while toluene and benzene were used as the model hydrophobic contaminants. Several soil types and water contents were examined. Results indicated that two‐phase equilibrium parameters were sufficient to predict partitioning among the various phases if fractional soil surface coverage by each phase was considered. A previously developed model was extended to account for the presence of NAPL and was used to describe the multiphase contaminant partitioning presented in this work.