The following chemicals and some of their properties are listed below. Based on
ID: 804233 • Letter: T
Question
The following chemicals and some of their properties are listed below. Based on their properties and assuming that each is equally toxic, prioritize the list (i.e., 1 = most likely, 6 = least likely) to indicate which are most likely to:
a) travel furthest in an aquifer causing a large groundwater "plume"
b) be detected at high concentrationsin groundwater
c) are likely to be readily detected in soil gas at or near the source
Also, please indicate which of the chemicals is likely to: d) be found as a non-aqueous (immiscible) phase liquid floating on the water table (hint: at least one of the chemicals is not a liquid!)
e) be found as a non-aqueous (immiscible) phase liquid at the bottom of an aquifer. Please provide a brief explanation for each of your answers.
CHEMICAL SOLUBILITY @ 20oC (g/L) Specific Gravity Log Kow HENRYS CONSTANT (atm-m3/mole)
Toluene 526,000 0.9 2.7 0.0066
Trichlorethene 1,280,000 1.46 2.6 0.0098
p-Xylene 152,000 0.9 3.1 0.0053
Pentachlorophenol 14,000 2.0 5.0 0.0000034
Naphthalene 31,000 1.16 3.3 0.00044
PCB 1242 30 1.4 6.0 0.00086
Explanation / Answer
Answer: a
The movement of chemicals is depend upon the specific gravity, as the chemical having low specific gravity value would cover long distance and those having high value would cover least distance.
Answer: b
The concentration of chemical is depend upon the value of Kow (Concentration in octanol phase/Concentration in aqueous phase) of chemical in that solution, more Kow would have more concentration whereas low Kow would have less concentration.
Answer: c
Chemical having high solubility and low specific gravity would be detect faster than lower one.
Answer: d
The chemical having low solubility and low specific gravity would be immiscible and found surface of water table.
Answer: e
The chemical having low solubility and high specific gravity would be immiscible and found at the bottom of an aquifer.
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