The Effect of Dynamic Evaporation Rates on the Mobility of Pharmaceuticals in Unsaturated Environments

Abstract:

The focus of this work was on investigating how dynamic rates of evaporation affect the fate and transport of pharmaceutical compounds in unsaturated porous media. The environmental processes of saturation and evaporation control local concentrations of contaminants in pore water of porous media. Specifically, the rate of evaporation can affect the identity and extent of solid formation of a pharmaceutical compound. A range of experiments with different evaporation rates were conducted on sand columns saturated with a solution of ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Experiments were designed to simulate increased and decreased pore-water concentrations of a compound due to evaporation and resaturation, respectively. Results suggest that varied rates of evaporation cause differences in compound adsorption behavior. This result has significant implications for understanding fate and transport within the unsaturated zone. Preliminary models exploring the impact on contaminant mobility are discussed.