Phenolic in soils

Several facts have emerged from our studies with 2,7-DCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDD. They are not biosynthesized by condensation of chloro-phenols in soils, and they are not photoproducts of 2,4-dichlorophenol. They do not leach into the soil profile and consequently pose no threat to groundwater, and they are not taken up by plants from minute residues likely to occur in soils. Photodecomposition is insignificant on dry soil surfaces but is probably important in water. Dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin is lost by volatilization, but TCDD is probably involatile. These compounds are not translocated within the plant from foliar application, and they are degraded in the soil. 

Talsky [5] has described a higher order derivative spectrometric method for the determination of phenols in soils. 

Karasek et al. [6] determined phenols in soils by extraction with a mixture of benzene and water modified to pHIO by the addition of 2-methoxyethylamine. The phenol in the extract was identified and determined by gas chromatography using a variety of detectors including flame ionization, electron capture and mass spectrometry. 

Talsky [1] illustrated the practical use of higher-order derivative spectrophotometry in estimating pollutants in soils by detailed descriptions of the simultaneous estimation of aniline in waste water, phenol in soils and the study of nickel adsorbed on to bentonite powder. 

Available data indicate that phenol biodegrades in soil under both aerobic and anaerobic soil conditions. The half-life of phenol in soil is generally less than 5 days (Baker and Mayfield 1980 HSDB 1997), but acidic soils and some surface soils may have half-lives of between 20 and 25 days (HSDB 1997). Mineralization in an alkaline, para-brown soil under aerobic conditions was 45.5, 48, and 65% after 3, 7, and 70 days, respectively (Haider et al. 1974). Half-lives for degradation of low concentrations of phenol in two silt loam soils were 2.70 and 3.51 hours (Scott et al. 1983). Plants have been shown to be capable of metabolizing phenol readily (Cataldo et al. 1987). 

Very few data concerning the presence of phenol in soils were found. Phenol generally does not adsorb very strongly to soils and tends to leach rapidly through soil, which may account for the lack of monitoring data, since any phenol released to soils is likely to leach to groundwater. 

Baker MD, Mayfied Cl. 1980. Microbial and nonbiological decomposition of chlorophenols and phenol in soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 13 411-424. 

X-ray absorption spectroscopy has revealed the formation of organochlorine compounds from chloride and chloroperoxidase in weathering plant material (172-174). Moreover, this technique has uncovered the bromide-to-organobromine conversion in environmental samples (174). In addition to chloroperoxidase mediated chlorination, the abiotic chlorination in soils and sediments involving the alkylation of halides during Fe(III) oxidation of natural organic phenols in soils and sediments has been discovered (175-177). 

Bouchard DC. 1987. Monitoring transport of selected pesticides and phenols in soil columns by high performance liquid chromatography. J Environ Sci Health [B] 22 391-402. 

A study was carried out for LEE by the Soxhlet method and microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of the priority phenols in soil samples. Recoveries varied from 67 to 97% with RSD between 8 and 14% for LEE, and >70% for the MAP, except for nitrophenols that underwent degradation when the latter method was applied. LOD was from 20 ngg for 2,4-dimethylphenol to 100 ngg for pentachlorophenol. The best detection method for EC was atmospheric pressnre chemical ionization MS (APCI-MS). The most abnndant ions obtained by this detection method were [M — H] for the lowly chlorinated phenols and [M — H — HCl] for tri-, tetra- and pentachlorophenols . 

Phenols are very polar (phenol and dihydric phenols) to very non-polar (nonylphenol) as shown in Table 8.1. This makes it very complex to analyse the phenols in a single GC run. The non-polar phenols can be extracted with an acetone-hydrocarbon system as used for PAHs and PCBs. Using this extraction system may be effective for phenol, but during the washing step with water for removal of the acetone the phenol will be discharged with the water phase. Successful analyses of phenols in soil will be achieved if the scope is limited to the phenols that can be extracted and analysed in one run. 

Llompart, M., Blanco, B., and Cela, R., Determination of phenols in soils by in situ acetylation headspace solid-phase microextraction, J. Microcolumn Sep., 12, 25-32, 2000. 

Cong YQ, Ye Q,Wu ZC. (2005). Electrokinetic behaviour of chlorinated phenols in soil and their electrochemical degradation. Process Safety and Environmental Protection 83(B2) 178-183. 

Fung, Y.S. and Long, Y.H., Determination of phenols in soil by supercritical fluid extraction-capillary electrochromatography, J. Chromatogr. A, 907, 301, 2001. 

Baker, M.D. and C.I. Mayfield. Microbial and Non-biological Decomposition of Chlo-rophenols and Phenols in Soil, Water, Air and Soil Pollut, 13 411-424 (1980). 

Hay,A.G Rice, J. F. Applegate,B. M. Biight,N. G. Sayler,G. S. Abioluminescent whole-cell reporter for detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichloro-phenol in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol October 2000, 66(10), 4589-4594. 

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