• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.12-19
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• 2004

Binding mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with a purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) and its ultrafiltration (UF) size fractions were investigated. Organic carbon normalized binding coefficient ($K_oc$) values were estimated by both a conventional Stern-Volmer fluorescence quenching technique and a modified fluorescence quenching method. Pyrene $K_oc$ values depended on PAHA concentration as well as freely dissolved pyrene concentration. Such nonlinear sorption-type behaviors suggested the existence of specific interactions. Smaller molecular size PAH (naphthalene) exhibited higher $K_oc$ value with medium-size PAHA UF fractions whereas larger size PAH (pyrene) had higher extent of binding with larger PAHA UF fractions. The inconsistent observation for naphthalene versus pyrene was well explained by size exclusion effect, one of the previously suggested specific mechanisms for PAH binding. In general, the extent of pyrene binding increased with lower pH likely due to the neutralization of acidic functional groups in HS and the subsequent increase in hydrophobic HS region. However, pyrene $K_oc$ results with a large UF fraction (>100K Da) corroborated the existence of the size exclusion effect as demonstrated by an increase in $K_oc$ values at a certain higher pH range. The size exclusion effect appears to be effective only for the specific conditions (HS size or pH) that render HS hole st겨ctures to fit a target PAH.