Enhancement of the water solubility of organic pollutants such as pyrene by dissolved organic matter

Many factors determine the fate and transport of an organic pollutant in the environment but water solubility is certainly one of the most important. Among the environmental factors that alter the solubility of a molecule is naturally occurring dissolved organic carbon (DOG). We have hypothesized that the DOC from different sources within a watershed have different binding affinities for pollutants such as pyrene. This could lead to different rates of transport or bioavailability within the watershed. DOC samples have been isolated from a stream, adjacent wetland and nearby wooded upland sites. A fluorescence quenching method was developed to quantify the binding coefficient of the pollutants with the dissolved organic carbon. From these results a model has been constructed to determine the sites with the greatest potential to modify pollutant contamination in the environment.