VOLATILIZATION AND LEACHING OF ¹⁴C-HEXACHLOROBENZENE IN CONTAMINATED SOIL

ABSTRACT

The possibility of air and water contamination by hexachlorobenzene derived from a contaminated soil was studied by analysis of volatilization and leaching of ¹⁴Chexachlorobenzene. For the volatilization study, contaminated soil samples mixed with organic material sources, lime, or flooded were treated with a ¹⁴C-hexachlorobenzene solution; the volatile ¹⁴C-compounds were captured by polyurethane lamina, extracted by hexane and analyzed by Liquid Scintillation Counting. The leaching of the hexachlorobenzene was studied by water percolation through PVC tubes containing contaminated soil treated with sugarcane bagasse and/or lime and ¹⁴C-HCB placed over noncontaminated soil; the tubes were cut in sections and the soil and the leached water were analyzed by Liquid Scintillation Counting. The volatilization of the ¹⁴C-compounds occurred in all the samples, mainly in the flooded samples with organic matter addition and the leaching of the ¹⁴C-HCB was not observed, indicating the possibility of contamination of the air but not the groundwater.

KEY WORDS
Hexachlorobenzene; volatilization; mobility; leaching; soil; organic material