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IMPLICATIONS TO THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT OF POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS LIBERATED FROM NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS COAL
Citation:
Carlson, R., A. Oyler, E. Gerhart, R. Caple, AND K. Welch. IMPLICATIONS TO THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT OF POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS LIBERATED FROM NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS COAL. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-79/093.
Description:
The effects of leaching processes upon Western Great Plains coal was investigated to ascertain the potential impact of the organic components on aquatic organisms. Acute and chronic toxicity testing of coal leachate indicated no lipophilic fraction containing polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that might be anticipated to bioaccumulate. HPLC-GC analysis indicated that the PAH content was of a comparable concentration to samples obtained from Lake Superior. GC-MS analysis of the lipophilic materials that are absorbed on the coal particulates indicated that they were predominantly low molecular weight PAH's (i.e., naphthalenes, phenanthrenes, anthracenes, etc), alkanes, and heterocycles. Synthetic methodology was developed to provide standard samples of alkylated PAH's of the type observed during the MS analysis. The biological studies on PAH's were aided by the use of a combined HPLC-GC analysis procedure (ng/l detection level) developed specifically for this program. The biological investigation resulted in obtaining bioaccumulation factors in the range of 1000-5000 for several PAH's. Selected PAH's of various structural types were also shown to be quite susceptible to 'second-order' anthropogenic transformations such as chlorine disinfection.