Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Civil: Water Resources and Environmental (WRE) Practice Exam

A high octanol-water partitioning coefficient (Kow) value indicates that the organic matter is hydrophobic. Kow is a measure of how a substance partitions between the octanol and water phases, with higher values suggesting that the substance prefers the octanol phase. This preference suggests that the compound has low solubility in water and higher affinity for organic solvents, which is characteristic of hydrophobic substances. Such compounds tend to repel water due to their non-polar characteristics, making them less likely to dissolve in aqueous environments. This property is significant in environmental science and water resources management as it relates to the movement and fate of contaminants in aquatic systems.