The effects of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20), and their mixtures on the depuration of anthracene (Ant) and fluoranthene (Fla) individually adsorbed on the Kandelia obovata (Ko) leaf surfaces were in situ investigated. The Ko original leaf-wax microstructures have been destroyed by SDBS, Tween 20, and their mixtures at or above their critical micelle concentration (CMC). The volatilization rate constants (kV) of the adsorbed PAHs decreased with surfactants at or above their CMC resulting from the plasticizing effect and a decrease in the polarity of the Ko leaf-waxes induced by surfactants. Moreover, the photolysis rate constants (kP) of the adsorbed PAHs decreased with SDBS while increased with Tween 20 and their mixtures at or above their CMC, which can be attributed to effects of surfactants on the light adsorption behavior of Ko leaf-waxes. Overall, the effects of surfactants on the depuration of the adsorbed PAHs were dependent not only on the physical-chemical properties of surfactants but also on the micro-environment of the substrates adsorbed the PAHs. These results are of great significance for further understanding the accumulation of PAHs and could expand our knowledge about the migration mechanism of PAHs from the atmosphere by mangrove leaf surface micro-zones.
Keywords: Depuration; Kandelia obovata; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Surfactants.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.