Abstract:
To explore the relationships among minerals distribution in sediments, their reducing capacity, and the abiotic reduction rate of organic pollutants in groundwater, this study utilized two sets of typical columnar sediment cores. A systematic investigation of sediments was conducted, including particle size composition, mineral distribution, iron speciation, electron-donating capacity (EDC), and abiotic reduction rate of nitrobenzene induced by sediment. Results show that the predominant minerals in sediments varied with sediment particle size, with clay minerals such as illite primarily concentrated in the clay fractions. Clay fractions exhibited a higher EDC than silt fractions, and presented a faster abiotic reduction rate for nitrobenzene. Moreover, EDC not only can serve as a quantitative measure of sediment reducing capacity, but also can act as a valuable indicator for assessing the potential for abiotic reduction of nitrobenzene by sediments. These findings provide a new perspective for predicting the abiotic natural reduction capacity of sediments and groundwater organic contaminant remediation.