Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9451950 | Chemosphere | 2005 | 16 Pages |
Abstract
A mass balance model was applied to simulate the long-term fate of PAHs in San Francisco Bay. The model treats the Bay as a single box with interacting water and sediment compartments, and includes loading, volatilization, outflow to the ocean, degradation, and burial in deep sediment. The estimated time required for loss of one-half of the mass in the Bay in the absence of loading ranged from 20 d for naphthalene to 5 yr for benzo(b)fluoranthene. Uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulation indicated a high degree of influence and uncertainty for degradation rates, suggesting that improved estimates of degradation would significantly improve the predictive ability of the model. A comparison of model calculations to literature values suggested that external PAH loading to San Francisco Bay was at or above previous estimates of 3600 kg yrâ1, and that degradation in the Bay was within the range of commonly published estimates for high molecular weight PAHs (4.0 Ã 10â5 to 4.0 Ã 10â4 dâ1).
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Life Sciences
Environmental Science
Environmental Chemistry
Authors
Ben K. Greenfield, Jay A. Davis,