Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Field derived accumulation and release kinetics...
View graph of relations

Field derived accumulation and release kinetics of DDTs in plants.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
  • Antonio Di Guardo
  • Luca Nizzetto
  • Alfonso Infantino
  • Ilaria Colombo
  • Elena Saporiti
  • Kevin C. Jones
Close
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>08/2008
<mark>Journal</mark>Chemosphere
Issue number10
Volume72
Number of pages7
Pages (from-to)1497-1503
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Vegetation plays an important role in influencing the air/surface exchange of semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs). In order to predict the capability of different plant species to capture chemicals from the air, plant–air partition coefficients and kinetic accumulation parameters must be defined. In this study, potted plants of three different species were transferred to the vicinity of a source point for DDT, namely a contaminated area around a former production plant in Italy. Leaves were constantly sampled in order to follow the uptake from air over time. Later, the potted plants were transported to a location characterized by background diffuse air concentrations for the release phase. Coupling the experimental results with a two-compartment accumulation model it was possible to derive the kinetics parameters and the plant–air partition coefficient KPA for p,p′-DDT. The log KPA (on a mass/volume basis) ranged between 1.7 and 2.2 for the different species. The uncertainties related to the different phenomena involved in a field uptake/release experiment are discussed.