MEASUREMENTS ON WATER CONTAINING DISSOLVED AND SUSPENDED MATTER FROM NATURAL SEDIMENTS

The presence of dissolved and suspended matter (DSM), originating from three different natural sediments, was measured as dry weight concent rations (DW), dissolved organic carbon concentrations (DOG) and enhanc ed concentrations of three chlorobenzenes. The latter were measured in a recently developed method, in which the water containing DSM is con taminated with the chemicals by air in an air-bridge system. This meth od appears to be suitable for measuring enhanced concentrations in sus pension water of relatively volatile compounds. DW and DOC concentrati ons and enhanced concentrations vary considerably between the three se diments. Moreover, the results are not in parallel, i.e. enhanced conc entrations cannot be predicted by DW or DOC of the suspension water. T his implies that neither DW nor DOC give a good description of the inf luence of DSM on the sorption behaviour of chemicals in water. (C) 199 6 Elsevier Science Ltd