Factors Affecting Sorption of Organic Compounds in Natural Sorbent/Water Systems and Sorption Coefficients for Selected Pollutants. A Review

Factors affecting sorption of organic pollutants by natural sorbents (soils, sediments, clays, humic materials, and dissolved organic matters) and sorption coefficients for selected pollutants are reviewed on the basis of the literature results and interpretations; with 681 references examined. The most significant aspects of the sorption process are discussed: sorption isotherms and sorption kinetics; effects of sorbent physico-chemical characteristics (pH, cation exchange capacity, ionic strength, surface area, etc.); effect of the temperature; sorption of volatile compounds; effect of the presence of a cosolvent; association with dissolved organic matter; effect of the sorbent concentration; “hysteresis” or nonsingularity in the sorption–desorption process, and its implications in the transport of these contaminants through soil columns. The experimental and prediction methods adopted for the determination and estimation of the sorption coefficients are also described. Literature sorption coefficients for selected hydrophobic, polar, and ionizable compounds are collected. The compounds taken into consideration belong to the following classes: monoaromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated alkyl and aryl compounds, phenol and chlorinated phenols, polychlorobiphenyls, dioxins, and pesticides. The respective sorption coefficients (log Kd) and organic carbon-referenced sorption coefficients (log Koc) are tabulated together with the most relevant characteristics of the respective sorbent, the measurement temperature, and the experimental methods. The log Koc values are averaged and compared with other experimental and estimated literature data. Differences of sorption coefficients on soils and sediments and effect of pH on sorption coefficients for ionizable compounds are evidentiated.