Effects of Composition and Domain Arrangement of Biopolymer Components of Soil Organic Matter on the Bioavailability of Phenanthrene

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 44; no. 9; pp. 3339 - 3344
• Main Authors: Yang, Yu, Shu, Liang, Wang, Xilong, Xing, Baoshan, Tao, Shu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.05.2010
• Subjects: Adsorption; Applied sciences; Bioavailability; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Biological Availability; Biopolymers; Biopolymers - chemistry; Cellulose; Cellulose - chemistry; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Processes; Environmental science; Exact sciences and technology; Kinetics; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Organic chemicals; Organic Chemicals - chemistry; Phenanthrenes - chemistry; Photoelectron Spectroscopy - methods; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Quality Control; Soil; Soil and sediments pollution; Spectrum analysis; Surface Properties; Waxes; Organic matter; Phenanthrene; Hydrocarbon; Pollutant behavior; Hydrophobic compound; Bioavailability; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Mutagen; Soil pollution; Persistent organic pollutant; Sorption; Carcinogen; Pollution; Adsorption; Biopolymer; Bacteria; Environment; Property structure relationship; Organic compounds; Functional group
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es903586v

Bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) is an important factor affecting their fate in the environment. Molecular-level HOC-soil organic matter (SOM) interactions and associated impacts on its bioavailability were investigated in this study. Our results showed that, phenanthrene (PHE) was mainly sequestrated in aromatic domains of lignin, as indicated by liquid-state 1H−13C heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC) NMR along with solid-state 13C NMR data and information on surface domain distribution of this biopolymer as shown by its X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic data. Here, surface domain distribution was defined as the relative abundance of sorption domains at the surfaces versus that in the bulky biopolymer particles and their spatial positions. Wax had much higher sorption for PHE than cellulose, but no striking difference in degradability of wax- and cellulose-sorbed PHE was observed, which can be ascribed to much more hydrophobic surface of wax relative to that of cellulose, making it more favorable for bacteria PYR-1 attachment. This work highlighted the joint effects of functionalities and surface domain distribution of SOM on bioavailability of HOCs (e.g., PHE).