Concentration and distribution of PCBs in sediments in in the Fox River, Green Bay and proposed novel porous material for remediation of PCBs
Mentor 1
Marcia Silva
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
28-4-2017 1:30 PM
End Date
28-4-2017 4:00 PM
Description
The Green Bay lakes including the Fox River has a legacy for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) with reported levels as high as 248ppm. Over time, PCB's can accumulate in aquatic species tissues in high concentrations. In addition to their persistence, they are also very toxic compounds that show carcinogenic responses in both humans and animals. PCB's impose numerous problems once released into the environment including health hazards and high natural remediation times. They are both chemically and thermally stable increasing the time it takes for these compounds to decompose, which can take anywhere from years to decades. This research aims to investigate the concentration levels of PCB's (Aroclor 1242) in Green Bay lake sediments and to evaluate our engineered novel microporous materials absorptive capabilities to remove these hazardous compounds from water. Preliminary data shows the sample concentration range being between 16 micro g/kg and 0.01 micro g/kg with the average at 1 micro g/kg. These findings are significantly lower than findings presented by other authors with a range between 710,000 micro g/kg and 2 micro g/kg . The chemical structure for the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) is made up of two benzene rings with varying numbers between 1 and 10 of chlorine atoms attached. Aroclor 1242 has a chlorine composition of 42% which can be derived from the last two digits of the name. Column experiments will be performed where pore water samples will collected as a spiked aqueous matrix passes through the absorbent material where we expect to find a high percent of recovery. Should our final conclusions support the anticipated results, then investigation into removing these toxic compounds from the environment could be examined.
Concentration and distribution of PCBs in sediments in in the Fox River, Green Bay and proposed novel porous material for remediation of PCBs
Union Wisconsin Room
The Green Bay lakes including the Fox River has a legacy for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) with reported levels as high as 248ppm. Over time, PCB's can accumulate in aquatic species tissues in high concentrations. In addition to their persistence, they are also very toxic compounds that show carcinogenic responses in both humans and animals. PCB's impose numerous problems once released into the environment including health hazards and high natural remediation times. They are both chemically and thermally stable increasing the time it takes for these compounds to decompose, which can take anywhere from years to decades. This research aims to investigate the concentration levels of PCB's (Aroclor 1242) in Green Bay lake sediments and to evaluate our engineered novel microporous materials absorptive capabilities to remove these hazardous compounds from water. Preliminary data shows the sample concentration range being between 16 micro g/kg and 0.01 micro g/kg with the average at 1 micro g/kg. These findings are significantly lower than findings presented by other authors with a range between 710,000 micro g/kg and 2 micro g/kg . The chemical structure for the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) is made up of two benzene rings with varying numbers between 1 and 10 of chlorine atoms attached. Aroclor 1242 has a chlorine composition of 42% which can be derived from the last two digits of the name. Column experiments will be performed where pore water samples will collected as a spiked aqueous matrix passes through the absorbent material where we expect to find a high percent of recovery. Should our final conclusions support the anticipated results, then investigation into removing these toxic compounds from the environment could be examined.
