This opportunity is for Caltech students only


Project Description:
This project will involve literature review and the design and performance of laboratory experiments to investigate the interactions of hydrophobic organic compounds with mineral surfaces. The focus of this work will be the effects of such interactions on the surface properties of minerals and on the sorption of cationic or oxyanionic metal species to mineral surfaces.

Background Information:
Contamination of soils with both hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC's) and metals is common at many Superfund sites. One example would be spills of jet fuels and disposal of electroplating wastes at military bases. Although HOC's are primarily associated with soil organic carbon, HOC sorption to mineral surfaces has been documented. Such interactions are unlikely to have much effect on the mobility or partitioning of HOC's in soil environments but may influence the surface properties of the minerals. Since the mobility of metal contaminants in the subsurface environment is largely governed by metal sorption to mineral surfaces, the presence of HOC's in soils might indirectly affect metal transport in groundwater. Models of metal mobility in the subsurface environment have not thusfar considered any possible effects of HOC's on the behavior of metals. This project will focus on the question of whether metal transport in soil water or groundwater may be affected by the presence of HOC's.

Literature References or articles that may provide more information on the project:
"Environmental Organic Chemistry", R.P. Schwarzenbach, P.M. Gschwend, D.M. Imboden, Wiley-Interscience, 1993, chapter 11.

"Principles and Applications of Aquatic Chemistry", F.M.M. Morel, J.G. Hering, Wiley-Interscience, 1993, chapter 8.

Requirements (skills, specific coursework, academic major, year in school, etc.):
Good background in chemistry needed. Ch 1abc, Ch 3 required. Ch 15 strongly recommended.

Research Sponsor Name: Janet Hering
E-Mail: jhering@cco
Division: EAS
Telephone: 3644
Address: 138-78

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