Rate of Horizontal Spread of Fluorene in a Sandy Loam under Natural Environment

Abstract

Rate of horizontal movement of a pollutant such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil plays a major role in spread of pollutants in the segments of the environment. However, the study regarding this aspect is not widely reported. In the present work, the rate of horizontal spread of Fluorene in soil is determined in an experiment spread over a year under natural environment. Known amount of the hydrocarbon was added to a soil at a particular point, extraction of the same was done later on at definite time interval at definite distances from the point of application and quantitative determination was done by HPLC analysis of the extract. Eleven number of important physico-chemical parameters of the soil sample were determined/calculated in order to know the quality of the soil. The values of parameters are in agreement to the characteristics of a good soil. The experimental soil is a mild acidic sandy loam. It has been found that one-year time is sufficient for the applied quantity of the hydrocarbon to spread itself uniformly to attain a concentration, which is at par with natural concentration of the hydrocarbon in the experimental soil. Studies on kinetics of the reaction imply that the reaction occurs in different phases, rate constants being gradually increased with time. The positive influence of increase in ambient temperature and rainfall on disappearance of the hydrocarbon is seen in the experiment. It has been found that the most probable speed of the hydrocarbon for horizontal movement is 3.75 cm per month in the experimental soil.