Extending the Applicability of Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis to Low Concentrations of 1,4 Dioxane

Abstract

The objective of this work was to develop a reliable method to perform compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) on low aqueous concentrations (1 g/L) of 1,4-dioxane in groundwater and then apply it to investigate 1,4-dioxane biodegradation. It was determined that 0.5 grams of a synthetic carbonaceous sorbent, when added to a 40 mL vial containing aqueous 1,4-dioxane in the 10 to 100 g/L range, could adsorb more than 99 percent of the 1,4-dioxanefrom solution. The 1,4-dioxane was successfully recovered from the dried solid sorbent by thermal desorption into a gas chromatograph with isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The method was successfully applied to samples at concentrations in the 1 g/L range. It is anticipated that the CSIA method will be applied to demonstrate the biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane in the1-100 g/L range. The method is likely to be adaptable to other contaminants and media (e.g., air and soil), thereby extending the applicability of CSIA to possibly document degradation processes that may be occurring at much lower concentrations in the environment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2017
Accession Number
AD1053675

Entities

People

  • Aravena Ramon
  • P.J. Bennett

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alkanes
  • Alkenes
  • Biodegradation
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Chromatographs
  • Desorption
  • Ecology
  • Environment
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Environmental Protection
  • Groundwater
  • Liquids
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Spectrometry
  • Water

Readers

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Groundwater Contamination Remediation.