Transport of organic contaminants through salinity stratified water masses. A microcosm experiment
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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems
Published on: December 24, 2014
Eric Jover1, Anna Gómez-Gutiérrez, Joan Albaigés
1Department of Environmental Chemistry, I.I.Q.A.B.-C.S.I.C., Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain. ejcqam@iiqab.csic.es
Abstract:
A salt-wedge stratified microcosm, spiked with 31 target analytes, including PCBs, organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticides, triazines, organophosphate flame retardants and caffeine (an urban wastewater molecular marker), was setup. Compound behaviour was monitored during a four week period, by sampling at six different levels of the water column, in order to understand the transport and loss processes of the different classes of chemical substances. Compound transport from one water body to the other has been positively correlated with diffusion via their molar volume. Target analytes loss has been positively correlated with evaporation via their K(H) and with degradation via their halve-lives. From these two processes, evaporation was found to be predominant using a multiparametric regression.
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