[Water-Sediment Partition of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Karst Underground River]

Based on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) field data of dissolved phase and sediment phase, partition coefficient K(p) in sediment-water interface from Laolongdong underground river was obtained. The concentration of PAHs in water and sediment and partition coefficient K(p) in sediment-water interface were studied. The results showed PAHs concentrations were 81.5-8 089 ng x L(-1) with a mean value (1 439 ± 2 248) ng x L(-1) in water and 58.2-1 051 ng x g(-1) with an average (367.9 ± 342.6) ng x g(-1) in sediment. The dominant PAHs were 2-3 rings PAHs in water and sediment. However, high rings PAHs obviously enriched in the sediment. Partition coefficients varied from 55.74 to 46 067 L x kg(-1) in sediment-water interface, increasing with the rise of PAH compounds. All the organic carbon partition in sediment-water interface were higher than predicate values based on typical model of equilibrium distribution indicated that PAHs were strongly adsorbed in sediment. The linear free-energy relationship coefficient between K(oc) value and octanol-water partition coefficient K(ow) was 0.75, but the slope was lower than 1, indicating that sediment in Laolongdong underground river had weakly lipophilic characteristics and adsorption ability for PAHs.