Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely distributed in natural water systems and marine sediments and have been shown to be carcinogenic and mutagenic in animal models and human epidimiological studies.  The primary abiotic degradation pathway in the aquatic environment is photodegradation.  Photolysis rates for anthracene and fluoranthene were measured in aqueous solution as a function of ionic strength (salinity), oxygen levels and humic acid concentrations over the range of conditions found in fresh to marine waters.  Solutions were irradiated using a solar simulator and concentrations of PAH where measured as a function of time using steady state fluorescence detection or HPLC with fluorescence detection.  3D excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize photoproducts. Photolysis followed first order kinetics, with degradation taking place on the timescale of minutes for anthracene and hours for fluoranthene.  The variation of photolysis rates with natural water variables will be presented and discussed.

Photolysis of anthracene and fluoranthene as a function of solution medium modeling a range of natural water environments

245th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.