Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2008NJ154B

Volatilization of PCBs from the Tappan Zee region of the Hudson River

Institute: New Jersey
Year Established: 2008 Start Date: 2008-03-01 End Date: 2009-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $30,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $59,516

Principal Investigators: Lisa Rodenburg, Robert Miskewitz

Project Summary: The proposed work would measure fluxes of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the water surface of the Tappan Zee region of the Hudson River. These measurements will be collected using a novel technique utilizing boundary layer theory to estimate flux rates, and will be the first of their kind from an estuarine system. Because volatilization is thought to be the major pathway for loss of PCBs from many of these systems, models of PCB fate rely heavily on the mass transfer coefficients (MTCs) for air/water exchange to predict the rate of volatilization. MTCs used in the current fate models are estimates based on measured MTCs for tracer gases that bear little physical-chemical similarity to PCBs. The proposed study will enable the determination of these MTCs for PCBs via measurements of PCB concentrations in the near surface air and water, and will enable the development of a method for calculating MTCs for several other classes of contaminants. This research will therefore enhance the accuracy of models of the fate of PCBs in aquatic systems. Since these models are used to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), this research will also aid in the establishment of scientifically accurate and legally defensible TMDLs.