Assessment of tolerance limits of petroleum residues in soil organic matter: sorption of dichlorobenzene by soil

In this study, the petroleum saturation limit in SOM was first evaluated by the sorption coefficient (Kd) of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB) from water to soils containing different petroleum levels. The sorption isotherm of dichlorobenzene in several petroleum-contaminated soils with different organic matter content and the microbial toxicity test of several petroleum-contaminated soils were determined. It is found that when the petroleum content is about 5% of the soil organic matter content, the sorption of petroleum to organic matter reached saturation limit. When organic matter reaches petroleum saturation limit, the sorption coefficient of DCB by soil particles increased linearly with the increase of petroleum content (R2 >  0.991). The results provided important insights into the understanding the fate of petroleum pollutants in soil and the analysis of soil toxicity.
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research