Anthracene Photolysis Kinetics in Salty Water and Ice

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants that can have negative health and environmental effects. The environmental fate of these contaminants depends on the medium they're in, since their reaction rates vary between environments. For example, faster photolysis rates have been observed for some PAHs on ice surfaces than in liquid water. Solutes may also alter kinetics, but the effects of common environmental solutes are largely unknown. This makes it difficult to accurately predict the environmental fate of PAHs. We measured anthracene photolysis kinetics in water and ice containing sodium chloride (NaCl). Photolysis was enhanced in the presence of sodium chloride in both media. The rate constant dependence on NaCl concentration was different in water and ice. This research will improve our understanding of the fate of PAHs in salt-containing snow and ice, such as sea ice and urban areas that use road salt.