Effects of humidity and soil organic matter on the sorption of chlorinated methanes in synthetic humic-clay complexes

Vapor-phase sorption is the most influential process governing the transport and the fate of volatile organic compounds in soil. To understand the influence of both soil organic content and the humidity of soil on the vapor sorption is an important process for degradation processes. The single-pellet moment technique was used to investigate sorption and diffusion of trichloromethane (TCM) and carbon tetrachloride (CTC) at varying relative humidities (0-80%) of synthetic humic-clay complex pellets consisting of clay (montmorillonite) and different amounts of organic matter (humic acid). The effective diffusivities of TCM and CTC did not show a noticeable change with moisture and humic acid content. On the other band, with increasing humic acid content of clay at 0% relative humidity, an appreciable decrease of the equilibrium sorption constants of the tracers (TCM, CTC) was found because of the blockage of some sites of the mineral surfaces and especially micropores by the humic acid. The presence of water also reduced dramatically the sorption of TCM and CTC on synthetic humic-clay complexes. Above 20% relative humidity, the sorption coefficient of TCM and CTC varied only slightly with humic acid content. It was concluded that the sorption of TCM and CTC in synthetic humic-clay complexes was strongly effected by the moisture and humic acid content. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.