Cosorption study of organic pollutants and dissolved organic matter in a soil

In this study we have evaluated the effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on sorption of imidacloprid, 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) and 4-bromoaniline (4-BA) on a typical calcareous soil (Luvic Xerosol) from south-eastern Spain. Two different types of DOM were used, that is to say, dissolved natural organic matter extracts from a commercial peat (DNOM) and a high-purity tannic acid (TA) solution. The experiments were carried out in a 0.01 M CaCl2 aqueous medium at 25 °C. The results indicated that the presence of both DNOM and TA, over a concentration range of 15–100 mg L−1, produced an increase in the amount of 3,4-DCA and 4-BA sorbed and a decrease in the amount of imidacloprid retained on the soil studied. A modified distribution coefficient, Kdoc, has been proposed as a safer parameter for soil sorption predictions of organic pollutants and it could be of help to model the fate of these in the environment.