ENVR 101 |
| Through the process of global distillation, persistent organic pollutants naturally concentrate in higher latitude regions. Non-trivial amounts of these polyhalogenated organic compounds (PHCs) accumulating in these regions can be acutely toxic and pose risks to the well-being of humans and higher trophic level species through the progression of biomagnification. Although controlled laboratory studies have provided insight into the mechanisms and rates of PHC degradation, no attention has been given to characterizing PHC abiotic degradation pathways in sediment matrices of extreme Arctic environments. The behavior of certain PHCs, such as carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, 2-chloroacetophenone and other persistent organic pollutants was studied to examine potential reduction-oxidation chemistry that could occur within the sediment. We will discuss the reactivity of these polyhalogenated pollutants versus the potential sorptive behavior in sediments collected from higher latitudes. |
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Environmental Contaminants: Low-Level and Complex Mixtures
1:30 PM-4:50 PM, Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Boston Park Plaza -- Stanbro Rm, Oral
Division of Environmental Chemistry |