Abstract
An experimental approach is presented to determine the biodegradability and the fate of a surfactant, a linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS), sorbed on natural sediments. This study was made after modules containing a sediment artificially contaminated by a LAS, were implanted into the shallow bottom of a French Mediterranean pond (étang de Bolmon). Application of a mathematical model which includes a biodegradation term and a diffusion term allows to simulate the behaviour of LAS in the sedimentary column by using experimental data obtained from HPLC analysis. The biodegradation rate constant (0.014 d‐1) and the diffusion coefficient (0.49 cm2 d‐1) have been estimated in near surface (0–4 cm) sediments. In the 4–14 cm sediment layer, these values decreased at 0.004d‐1 and 0.20cm2d‐1 respectively and they can be considered as negligible in the bottom sediment (below 15 cm) where the effects of sediment reworking are poor. Reworking processes which allow LAS desorption and their aerobic biodegradation, by distributing oxygen in the sediment surface layers, may be considered as the first mechanism responsible for sediment regeneration.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
