USE OF FIELD-FLOW FRACTIONATION TO STUDY POLLUTANT-COLLOID INTERACTIONS

A new approach has been developed utilizing field-flow fractionation (FFF) methods to determine adsorption density distributions across the size spectrum of a particulate sample. The approach has been tested using sedimentation FFF to separate colloidal matter, concentrated from river water, to which radiolabelled pollutants (orthophosphate, glyphosate, atrazine) have been adsorbed. It is expected that the methodology will be expanded to cover the broad size range from 1 nm to 100 μm by using a number of FFF subtechniques (including sedimentation FFF): the use of various sensitive analytical methods will extend the range of adsorbates that can be studied. This provides a powerful new method for studying the pollutant-particle interactions occuring in environmental samples, as well as other similar systems. © 1990.