Forensic misidentification of aroclor sources in fractured bedrock due to "Chromatographic" polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener separation

Scott K. Hansen, Bernard H. Kueper

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of matrix diffusion subject to differential sorption on the potential for Aroclor source identification and quantification in a fractured bedrock environment is examined. Due to sorption, transport is seen to occur at greatly different rates for the various congeners, causing rapid changes in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) plume composition during migration. This article provides a rigorous method for optimally fitting PCB groundwater sample concentrations as a linear combination of known Aroclors. It then demonstrates, via transport simulations in fractured sandstone with realistic properties, that correctly determining the Aroclors comprising a PCB source through optimally "fingerprinting" groundwater samples obtained even a few meters downgradient is not generally possible.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)25-34
Number of pages10
JournalEnvironmental Forensics
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Chemical fingerprinting
  • Differential sorption
  • Dnapl
  • Least squares
  • Matrix diffusion
  • Raoult's law
  • Retardation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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