S. Wakeham, E. Canuel, P. Doering
Jun 1, 1986
Citations
0
Influential Citations
13
Citations
Journal
Environmental science & technology
Abstract
(/sup 14/C)Octadecane and (/sup 14/C)decane were used as model compounds in controlled ecosystem experiments to investigate the behavior of aliphatic hydrocarbons in coastal seawater. Under summer conditions, both octadecane and decane were removed from the water column primarily by biodegradation. Mass balances calculated after the 2.5-week experiments showed that 71-82% of the radiolabeled hydrocarbon introduced into the ecosystem had been mineralized to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/. Volatilization removed only 6-15% of the hydrocarbons. The experimental results were applied to predict the fate of these compounds in Narragansett Bay. Residence times of about 1 day would be expected in summer. 32 references, 4 figures, 3 tables.