Slow and very slow desorption of organic compounds from sediment: influence of sorbate planarity

The kinetics of desorption of in situ chlorobenzenes, PAHs, and PCBs from four different sediments was studied employing Tenax beads as an infinite sink for sorbates. Rate constants for slow desorption were 2.9±0.4×10 −2 h −1, irrespective of the extent of sorbate planarity. Rate constants for very slow desorption were 2.1±0.5×10 −4 and 6.7±1.4×10 −4 h −1 for planar and non-planar compounds, respectively. Comparison with literature data suggests a priori estimates for rate constants for slow desorption to be 3×10 −2 h −1, and to be 2×10 −4 and 7×10 −4 h −1 for very slow desorption of planar and non-planar compounds, respectively. The ratio between the fractions in the very slowly desorbing domain and the rapidly desorbing domain was 15–38 for planar compounds which is higher than for non-planar compounds for which the ratio was 2.8–5.2. The ratio between the fractions in the slowly desorbing domain and the rapidly desorbing domain was 1.3–1.8 and independent of the sorbate planarity. The difference in influence of sorbate planarity on the very slowly desorbing domain as compared to the slowly desorbing domain points to different environments for the slowly and the very slowly desorbing fractions.