Sorbent Amendment Research Articles

Assessment of hydrophobic organic contaminant availability in sediments after sorbent amendment and its complete removal

Sorbents amended to sediments in situ for sequestration of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) may be swept away from the treated sites due to hydrodynamic forces applied to the sediment surface. The purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of recovery of HOC availability in sorbent-amended sediment after complete removal of the sorbent. Sediment contact with an easily separable model sorbent Tenax beads for 28 days in a slurry phase resulted in 74–98% reduction in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and polychlorinated biphenyl availability compared to the untreated controls. HOC availability in the sorbent-treated sediment slightly increased by sorbent removal and after one month of mixing in a slurry phase because the slowly-desorbing HOC fraction was released and repartitioned back to the sediment, partially replenishing the rapidly-desorbing HOC fraction. However, HOC availability did not further increase during an extended mixing period of 12 months suggesting that the repartitioning process was not an infinite source. HOC availability after the 12-month post-treatment mixing for the sorbent-treated sediment was 53–97% lower than that of the untreated sediment because of the combined effect of HOC mass removal from sediment (with the sorbent) and incomplete recovery of available HOC fraction in the sorbent-treated sediment.

Sequestration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin by activated carbon eliminates bioavailability and the suppression of immune function in mice.

The effectiveness of activated carbon in reducing the bioavailability of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was examined from the context of using in situ sorbent amendments to remediate soils/sediments contaminated with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This technology has gained rapid acceptance based on observations that activated carbon amendments predictably lower PCDD/F concentrations in water and bioaccumulation by simple aquatic organisms and earthworms; it has been assumed that bioavailability to mammals is similarly reduced, although this has been disproven for other sorbent materials. In the present study TCDD was absorbed to a microporous activated carbon (TCDD-AC) using the incipient wetness method. An aqueous suspension of TCDD-AC and an equivalent dosage of TCDD in corn oil were administered by oral gavage to B6C3F1 mice. The relative bioavailability of TCDD-AC was determined by quantifying and comparing the hepatic induction of cyp1A1 (messenger ribonucleic acid) and suppression of the immunoglobulin M antibody-forming cell immune response by the 2 forms of TCDD. A concentration-dependent response was observed for both assays when TCDD in corn oil was administered to mice. However, when equivalent masses of TCDD were administered as TCDD-AC, no induction of cyp1A1 or suppression of the immunoglobulin M antibody-forming cell response was observed. The absence of these 2 sensitive aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated responses in mice provides the first direct evidence that activated carbon can sequester TCDD in a form that eliminates its bioavailability to mammals. These results support the premise that activated carbon can be used to reduce the bioeffective dose of TCDD delivered to mammals and that activated carbon amendments may provide a low-cost alternative to traditional remediation technologies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2671-2678. © 2017 SETAC.

Evaluation of strategies to minimize ecotoxic side-effects of sorbent-based sediment remediation.

BACKGROUND In situ sorbent amendment for persistent organic pollutant sequestration in sediment has over the past 15 years steadily progressed from bench‐scale trials to full‐scale remediation applications. Hindering a wider technology uptake are, however, concerns about ecotoxic side‐effects of the most commonly used sorbent, activated carbon, on sensitive, sediment dwelling organisms like Lumbriculus variegatus. Using River Tyne sediment polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and L. variegatus as a case study, sorbent alternatives and magnetic sorbent‐recovery were investigated as potential engineering strategies to mitigate such ecotoxic side‐effects. The potential benefits of contacting the treated sediment with fresh River Tyne water, as would naturally occur over time in the intended applications, were studied.RESULTSMagnetic biochar was identified as an effective PAH sorbent with less ecotoxic side‐effects than magnetic activated carbon. After 85.1–100% magnetic recovery of this biochar, no ecotoxic side‐effects on L. variegatus were measurable in the treated sediment. Results show that ecotoxic effects of magnetic activated carbon can be alleviated through sorbent recovery. In contrast, contacting treated sediment repeatedly with River Tyne water had no measurable benefits.CONCLUSIONSMagnetic biochar is a promising sorbent material for the remediation of PAH polluted sediment. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Sorbent amendment as a remediation strategy to reduce PFAS mobility and leaching in a contaminated sandy soil from a Norwegian firefighting training facility

Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) containing poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used for firefighting have led to the contamination of soil and water at training sites. The unique physicochemical properties of PFAS results in environmental persistency, threatening water quality and making remediation of such sites a necessity. This work investigated the role of sorbent amendment to PFAS contaminated soils in order to immobilise PFAS and reduce mobility and leaching to groundwater. Soil was sampled from a firefighting training facility at a Norwegian airport and total and leachable PFAS concentrations were quantified. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was the most dominant PFAS present in all soil samples (between 9 and 2600 μg/kg). Leaching was quantified using a one-step batch test with water (L/S 10). PFOS concentrations measured in leachate water ranged between 1.2 μg/L and 212 μg/L. Sorbent amendment (3%) was tested by adding activated carbon (AC), compost soil and montmorillonite to selected soils. The extent of immobilisation was quantified by measuring PFAS concentrations in leachate before and after amendment. Leaching was reduced between 94 and 99.9% for AC, between 29 and 34% for compost soil and between 28 and 40% for the montmorillonite amended samples. Sorbent + soil/water partitioning coefficients (KD) were estimated following amendment and were around 8 L/kg for compost soil and montmorillonite amended soil and ranged from 1960 to 16,940 L/kg for AC amended soil. The remediation of AFFF impacted soil via immobilisation of PFAS following sorbent amendment with AC is promising as part of an overall remediation strategy.

In situ remediation of metal contaminated lake sediment using naturally occurring, calcium-rich clay mineral-based low-cost amendment

In situ sorbent amendments have gained attention owing to their role in contaminated sediment remediation and their cost-effectiveness. In this study, the effectiveness of two naturally occurring, low-cost calcium-rich clay minerals, natural calcium-rich sepiolite (NCSP) and natural calcium-rich attapulgite (NCAP), were investigated as potential in situ sorbent amendments for remediation of Pb and Cd using a sediment water microcosm and 15-day bioaccumulation assays. The two amendments were mixed with sediment at rates of 0%, 2.5%, 5% and 10%. The results indicate that the two amendments can effectively reduce most of the mobile fraction of metal in sediment, which in turn reduces metal uptake by benthic organisms. Additionally, the remediation efficiency increased with application dosage. Overall, sediment treated with the highest rate of 10% NCAP and NCSP led to reductions of 56.2% and 34.2%, for Cd, and 81.5% and 77.4%, for Pb, in the acid-soluble fraction. Similarly, uptake of Pb and Cd by benthic organisms was reduced by 33.5–53.3% and 20.9–37.1%, respectively. These results highlight the potential for using these naturally occurring, calcium-rich clay minerals as in situ sorbent amendments for sediment remediation.

Investigation into the feasibility of black carbon for remediation of nonylphenol polluted sediment through desorption kinetics after different order spiking

The binding order of sorbent, sediment and organic compounds, as well as binding time is important factors determining the potential success of sorbent amendment, which should be considered when the practicability of sorbents was assessed. But until now, relevant research was rare. In this study, desorption in three practical conditions were simulated, by three mixing spiking orders among nonylphenol (NP), rice straw black carbon (RC) and sediment (the order of mixing spiking is (RC+Sediment)+NP, (Sediment+NP)+RC and (RC+NP)+Sediment, for situation I, II and III, respectively), to discuss the feasibility of using RC to remedy NP pollution. Results demonstrated that amendment of RC into sediment decreased desorption fractions of NP, and increased the resistant desorption fraction (Fr), implying strong affinity of NP to RC and efficient sequestration by RC. No significant differences were observed for desorption among the three fresh situations, meaning NP may be adsorbed on RC exterior surface sites and inter-phase diffusion is faster than desorption. However, Fr for three aged situations was in the order: situation I<II<III, due to NP diffusion into the inter-pores or irreversible sorption sites of RC, reducing the releasing risk of NP. Regardless of time, Fr of three situations were all>0.5, suggesting RC is an effective sorbent for remedying NP pollution in the aquatic environment. Overall, we proposed a practical and analytical method for properly assessing the validity of a sorbent.

Effects of biochar and activated carbon amendment on maize growth and the uptake and measured availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and potentially toxic elements (PTEs)

With the aim of investigating the effects of carbonaceous sorbent amendment on plant health and end point contaminant bioavailability, plant experiments were set up to grow maize (Zea mays) in soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals. Maize and pine derived biochars, as well as a commercial grade activated carbon, were used as amendments. Plant growth characteristics, such as chlorophyll content and shoot to root biomass, improved with sorbent amendment to varying extents and contaminant uptake to shoots was consistently reduced in amended soils. By further defining the conditions in which sorbent amended soils successfully reduce contaminant bioavailability and improve plant growth, this work will inform field scale remediation efforts.

Activated Carbon Mitigates Mercury and Methylmercury Bioavailability in Contaminated Sediments

There are few available in situ remediation options for Hg contaminated sediments, short of capping. Here we present the first tests of activated carbon and other sorbents as potential in situ amendments for remediation of mercury and methylmercury (MeHg), using a study design that combined 2 L sediment/water microcosms with 14 day bioaccumulation assays. Our key end points were pore water concentrations, and bioaccumulation of total Hg and MeHg by a deposit-feeding oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus. Four amendments were tested: an activated carbon (AC); CETCO Organoclay MRM (MRM); Thiol-SAMMS (TS), a thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica; and AMBERSEP GT74, an ion-exchange resin. Amendments were tested in four separate microcosm assays using Hg-contaminated sediments from two freshwater and two estuarine sites. AC and TS amendments, added at 2-7% of the dry weight of sediments significantly reduced both MeHg concentrations in pore waters, relative to unamended controls (by 45-95%) and bioaccumulation of MeHg by Lumbriculus (by between 30 and 90%). Both amendments had only small impacts on microcosm surface water, sediment and pore water chemistry, with the exception of significant reductions in pore water dissolved organic matter. The effectiveness of amendments in reducing bioaccumulation was well-correlated with their effectiveness in increasing sediment:water partitioning, especially of MeHg. Sediments with low native sediment:water MeHg partition coefficients were most effectively treated. Thus, in situ sediment sorbent amendments may be able to reduce the risk of biotic Hg and MeHg uptake in contaminated sediments, and subsequent contamination of food webs.

Biological Responses to Activated Carbon Amendments in Sediment Remediation

Sorbent amendment with activated carbon (AC) is a novel in situ management strategy for addressing human and ecological health risks posed by hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) in sediments and soils. A large body of literature shows that AC amendments can reduce bioavailability of sediment-associated HOCs by more than 60-90%. Empirically derived biodynamic models can predict bioaccumulation in benthic invertebrates within a factor of 2, allowing for future scenarios under AC amendment to be estimated. Higher AC dose and smaller AC particle size further reduce bioaccumulation of HOCs but may induce stress in some organisms. Adverse ecotoxicity response to AC exposure was observed in one-fifth of 82 tests, including changes in growth, lipid content, behavior, and survival. Negative effects on individual species and benthic communities appear to depend on the characteristics of the sedimentary environment and the AC amendment strategy (e.g., dose and particle size). More research is needed to evaluate reproductive end points, bacterial communities, and plants, and to link species- and community-level responses to amendment. In general, the ability of AC to effectively limit the mobility of HOCs in aquatic environments may outshine potential negative secondary effects, and these outcomes must be held in comparison to traditional remediation approaches.

Observations of limited secondary effects to benthic invertebrates and macrophytes with activated carbon amendment in river sediments

Amendment of activated carbon to sediments has been shown to effectively reduce the bioavailability of hydrophobic organic contaminants, but concerns have been raised about the potential toxicological impacts of administering a strong sorbent into sediments. The present study provides a summary of several investigations carried out as part of a pilot-scale study in a river to understand the secondary effects of activated carbon added to reduce the bioavailability of sediment-associated polychlorinated biphenyls. While some previous laboratory amendment studies have found reduced lipid content in freshwater worms exposed to activated carbon-treated sediments, the authors did not observe an impact with fine-granular activated carbon-amended sediments aged in the field. Benthic community studies did not find differences between control and activated carbon-treated field sites over 3 yr of postapplication monitoring. Laboratory studies with submerged aquatic plants indicated reduced growth in sediments amended with ≥5% activated carbon, which was attributed to volume dilution of nutritional sediment or bulk density changes and was also observed when the sediment was amended with biochar and inert perlite. Since in situ sorbent amendment is likely to be implemented in depositional sediment environments, potential negative impacts will likely be short-term if the treated site is slowly covered with new sediment over time. Overall suitability of activated carbon amendment for a site will depend on balancing ecosystem and human health benefits from contaminant bioavailability reduction with any potential negative impacts expected under field conditions.

Modeling Trade-off between PAH Toxicity Reduction and Negative Effects of Sorbent Amendments to Contaminated Sediments

Adding activated carbon (AC) to contaminated sediment has been suggested as an effective method for sediment remediation. AC binds chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), thus reducing the toxicity of the sediment. Negative effects of AC on benthic organisms have also been reported. Here, we present a conceptual model to quantify the trade-off, in terms of biomass changes, between the advantageous PAH toxicity reduction and the negative effects of AC on populations of benthic species. The model describes population growth, incorporates concentration-effect relationships for PAHs in the pore water and for AC, and uses an equilibrium sorption model to estimate PAH pore water concentrations as a function of AC dosage. We calibrated the model using bioassay data and analyzed it by calculating isoclines of zero population growth for two species. For the sediment evaluated here, the results show that AC may safely protect the benthic habitat against considerable sediment PAH concentrations as long as the AC dosage remains below 4%.

Assessment of Nontoxic, Secondary Effects of Sorbent Amendment to Sediments on the Deposit-Feeding Organism Neanthes arenaceodentata

Activated carbon (AC) amendments to sediments were tested for nontoxic, secondary effects on survival, weight change, and energetic biomarkers of the deposit feeder Neanthes arenaceodentata. The tests employed silica sand, reference sediments, and contaminated sediments. Survival was not affected by the sediment type, the AC dose (20% versus 5%), or the AC particle size. Without additional food supply, exposure to untreated and AC-amended sediments resulted in similar reduction of weight and lipid content, with no difference between ingestible and noningestible AC. Overall, whether with or without AC, the organisms showed signs of starvation, as the organisms would most likely rely on organic surface deposits for their diet in the environments from which the sediments were collected. When additional food was supplied, the organisms grew significantly and maintained higher lipid and glycogen contents. However, when feeding on fish food, organisms grew less in AC amendments with slightly lower lipid and glycogen contents relative to organisms exposed to untreated sediment. Batch tests show that AC did not sorb sediment-associated nitrogen but sorbed nitrogen from fish food. Despite some effects of AC on these deposit feeders, absolute effects of AC amendments on growth and energy reserves were not significant.

PCB‐induced changes of a benthic community and expected ecosystem recovery following in situ sorbent amendment

The benthic community was analyzed to evaluate pollution-induced changes for the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated site at Hunters Point (HP) relative to 30 reference sites in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. An analysis based on functional traits of feeding, reproduction, and position in the sediment shows that HP is depauperate in deposit feeders, subsurface carnivores, and species with no protective barrier. Sediment chemistry analysis shows that PCBs are the major risk drivers at HP (1,570 ppb) and that the reference sites contain very low levels of PCB contamination (9 ppb). Different feeding traits support the existence of direct pathways of exposure, which can be mechanistically linked to PCB bioaccumulation by biodynamic modeling. The model shows that the deposit feeder Neanthes arenaceodentata accumulates approximately 20 times more PCBs in its lipids than the facultative deposit feeder Macoma balthica and up to 130 times more than the filter feeder Mytilus edulis. The comparison of different exposure scenarios suggests that PCB tissue concentrations at HP are two orders of magnitude higher than at the reference sites. At full scale, in situ sorbent amendment with activated carbon may reduce PCB bioaccumulation at HP by up to 85 to 90% under favorable field and treatment conditions. The modeling framework further demonstrates that such expected remedial success corresponds to exposure conditions suggested as the cleanup goal for HP. However, concentrations remain slightly higher than at the reference sites. The present study demonstrates how the remedial success of a sorbent amendment, which lowers the PCB availability, can be compared to reference conditions and traditional cleanup goals, which are commonly based on bulk sediment concentrations.

Assessment of field‐related influences on polychlorinated biphenyl exposures and sorbent amendment using polychaete bioassays and passive sampler measurements

Field-related influences on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure were evaluated by employing caged deposit-feeders, Neanthes arenaceodentata, along with polyoxymethylene (POM) samplers using parallel in situ and ex situ bioassays with homogenized untreated or activated carbon (AC) amended sediment. The AC amendment achieved a remedial efficiency in reducing bioaccumulation by 90% in the laboratory and by 44% in the field transplants. In situ measurements showed that PCB uptake by POM samplers was greater for POM placed in the surface sediment compared with the underlying AC amendment, suggesting that tidal exchange of surrounding material with similar PCB availability as untreated sediment was redeposited in the cages. Polychlorinated biphenyls bioaccumulation with caged polychaetes from untreated sediment was half as large under field conditions compared with laboratory conditions. A biodynamic model was used to confirm and quantify the different processes that could have influenced these results. Three factors appeared most influential in the bioassays: AC amendment significantly reduces bioavailability under laboratory and field conditions; sediment deposition within test cages in the field partially masks the remedial benefit of underlying AC-amended sediment; and deposit-feeders exhibit less PCB uptake from untreated sediment when feeding is reduced. Ex situ and in situ experiments inevitably show some differences that are associated with measurement methods and effects of the environment. Parallel ex situ and in situ bioassays, passive sampler measurements, and quantifying important processes with a model can tease apart these field influences.

Evaluation of sorbent amendments for in situ remediation of metal‐contaminated sediments

The present study evaluated sorbent amendments for in situ remediation of sediments contaminated with two divalent metals. A literature review screening was performed to identify low-cost natural mineral-based metal sorbents and high-performance commercial sorbents that were carried forward into laboratory experiments. Aqueous phase metal sorptivity of the selected sorbents was evaluated because dissolved metals in sediment porewater constitute an important route of exposure to benthic organisms. Based on pH-edge sorption test results, natural sorbents were eliminated due to inferior performance. The potential as in situ sediment amendment was explored by comparing the sorption properties of the engineered amendments in freshwater and saltwater (10 PPT salinity estuarine water) matrices. Self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous supports with thiols (Thiol-SAMMS) and a titanosilicate mineral (ATS) demonstrated the highest sorption capacity for cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), respectively. Sequential extraction tests conducted after mixing engineered sorbents with contaminated sediment demonstrated transfer of metal contaminants from a weakly bound state to a more strongly bound state. Biouptake of Cd in a freshwater oligochaete was reduced by 98% after 5-d contact of sediment with 4% Thiol-SAMMS and sorbed Cd was not bioavailable. While treatment with ATS reduced the small easily extractable portion of Pb in the sediment, the change in biouptake of Pb was not significant because most of the native lead was strongly bound. The selected sorbents added to sediments at a dose of 5% were mostly nontoxic to a range of sensitive freshwater and estuarine benthic organisms. Metal sorbent amendments in conjunction with activated carbon have the potential to simultaneously reduce metal and hydrophobic contaminant bioavailability in sediments.

Assessment of Advective Porewater Movement Affecting Mass Transfer of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in Marine Intertidal Sediment

Advective porewater movement and molecular diffusion are important factors affecting the mass transfer of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in marsh and mudflat sediments. This study assessed porewater movement in an intertidal mudflat in South Basin adjacent to Hunters Point Shipyard, San Francisco, CA, where a pilot-scale test of sorbent amendment assessed the in situ stabilization of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). To quantify advective porewater movement within the top 0-60 cm sediment layer, we used temperature as a tracer and conducted heat transport analysis using 14-day data from multidepth sediment temperature logging stations and one-dimensional heat transport simulations. The best-fit conditions gave an average Darcy velocity of 3.8cm/d in the downward vertical direction for sorbent-amended sediment with a plausible range of 0 cm/d to 8 cm/d. In a limiting case with no net advection, the best-fit depth-averaged mechanical dispersion coefficient was 2.2x10(-7) m2/s with a range of 0.9x10(-7) m2/s to 5.6x10(-7) m2/s. The Peclet number for PCB mobilization showed that molecular diffusion would control PCB mass transfer from sediment to sorbent particles for the case of uniform distribution of sorbent. However, the advective flow and mechanical dispersion in the test site would significantly benefit the stabilization effect of heterogeneously distributed sorbent by acting to smooth out the heterogeneities and homogenizing pollutant concentrations across the entire bioactive zone. These measurements and modeling techniques on intertidal sediment porewater transport could be useful for the development of more reliable mass transfer models for the prediction of contaminant release within the sediment bed, the movement of HOCs in the intertidal aquatic environment, and in situ sequestration by sorbent addition.

Measurement and Modeling of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Bioaccumulation from Sediment for the Marine Polychaete Neanthes arenaceodentata and Response to Sorbent Amendment

Bioaccumulation rates of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for the marine polychaete Neanthes arenaceodentata were characterized, including PCB uptake rates from water and sediment, and the effect of sorbent amendment to the sediment on PCB bioavailability, organism growth, and lipid content. Physiological parameters were incorporated into a biodynamic model to predict contaminant uptake. The results indicate rapid PCB uptake from contaminated sediment and significant organism growth dilution during time-series exposure studies. PCB uptake from the aqueous phase accounted for less than 3% of the total uptake for this deposit-feeder. Proportional increase of gut residence time and assimilation efficiency as a consequence of the organism's growth was assessed by PCB uptake and a reactor theory model of gut architecture. Pulse-chase feeding and multilabeled stable isotope tracing techniques proved high sediment ingestion rates (i.e., 6-10 times of dry body weight per day) indicating that such deposit-feeders are promising biological indicators for sediment risk assessment. Activated carbon amendment reduced PCB uptake by 95% in laboratory experiments with no observed adverse growth effects on the marine polychaete. Biodynamic modeling explained the observed PCB body burdens for N. arenaceodentata, with and without sorbent amendment.

Modeling PCB Mass Transfer and Bioaccumulation in a Freshwater Oligochaete Before and After Amendment of Sediment with Activated Carbon

A mass transfer model is presented that couples sediment geochemistry with PCB bioaccumulation by the benthic invertebrate, Lumbriculus variegatus. This model accounts for PCB intraparticle mass transfer, desorption, and adsorption by different particle types, and uptake by the benthic invertebrates through two pathways, dermal absorption, and sediment ingestion. The biological parameters, dermal uptake coefficients, depuration rates, sediment ingestion rates, and uptake efficiencies, were measured independently. The model was evaluated by laboratory bioaccumulation experiments for three freshwater sediments that were characterized for PCB concentration, PCB desorption rate, and equilibrium partitioning behavior. The model was also tested for its ability to predict changes in PCB bioaccumulation in the three sediments after amendment with activated carbon to reduce PCB bioavailability. For most PCB congeners, the modeled results and measured values agree within a factor of 2 for all three sediments before and after treatment with activated carbon. This model broadly agrees with the experimental data and can be used to predict changes in bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic compounds by the benthic organisms in sediments with known geochemical characteristics and under different sorbent amendment scenarios.

Modeling PAH mass transfer in a slurry of contaminated soil or sediment amended with organic sorbents

A three-compartment kinetic partitioning model was employed to assess contaminant mass transfer and intraparticle diffusion in systems comprising dense slurries of polluted soil or aquifer sediment with or without sorbent amendments to sequester polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The model was applied to simulate temporal changes in aqueous and particle-bound PAH concentrations comparing different pollution sources (heavy oil or tar sludge) and various sorbent amendments (polyoxymethylene (POM), coke breeze, and activated carbon). For the model evaluation, all the parameters needed were directly measured from a series of experiments, allowing full calibration and verification of model predictions without parameter fitting. The numerical model reproduced two separate laboratory-scale experiments reasonably: PAH uptake in POM beads and PAH uptake by semipermeable membrane devices. PAH mass transfer was then simulated for various scenarios, considering different sorbent doses and mass transfer rates as well as biodegradation. Such model predictions provide a quick assessment tool for identifying mass transfer limitations during washing, stabilization, or bioslurry treatments of polluted soil or sediment in mixed systems. It appears that PAHs would be readily released from materials contaminated by small oil droplets, but not tar decanter sludge. Released PAHs would be sequestered rapidly by activated carbon amendment but to a much lesser extent by coke breeze. If sorbing black carbon is present in the slurries, POM pellets would not be effective as a sequestration amendment. High first-order biodegradation rates in the free aqueous phase, e.g., in the order of 0.001 s −1 for phenanthrene, would be required to compete effectively with adsorption and mass transfer for strong sorbents.