Using polyethylene passive sampling to assess transport of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) between contaminated sediments, water, and biota

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were a widely used group of chemicals before their manufacture was banned in 1979 in the United States, still contaminate numerous aquatic systems. Although there are ongoing efforts to remediate these sites, our ability to implement effective remediation strategies has been hindered by a limited understanding of how PCBs are transported in the environment as well as how they bioaccumulate into aquatic animals. Investigations of contaminated sites often rely on sediment measurements since PCB concentrations are highest in the sediment phase. However, previous research has shown that sediment concentrations are a poor predictor of contaminant fate and effects, whereas freely dissolved water concentrations were able to predict the extent of bioaccumulation and the onset of toxicological effects more accurately.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Apell, Jennifer Nicole.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Philip M. Gschwend.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/113473

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/113473