The fate of trifluoroacetate in a northern hardwood forest

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America

OSTI ID:107123

Likens, G E; Tartowski, S; Driscoll, C T ^[1]

---

1. Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY (United States)

Current production of HFCs and HCFCs, replacements for ozone-depleting CFCs, is approximately 13 metric tons/yr. and is predicted to rise to 150 000-300 000 metric tons/yr. by 2010. The major breakdown product of HFCs and HCFCs, trifluoroacetate (TFA), is transported to the Earth`s surface in precipitation and is expected to become distributed throughout the environment. Laboratory studies indicate that TFA can enter plants and animals and that soil microbes are capable of decomposing TFA. During the summer of 1994, TFA was sprayed onto unvegetated soil mesocosms, upland forest plots and a forest seep at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. The TFA concentration and volume of water outflow were monitored in the soil mesocosms and seep. In the seep and upland forest, TFA in soil water form zero-tension lysimeters or wells was monitored and the water output was estimated using the Brooks2 hydrologic model. Unvegetated soil mesocosms retained more than 50% of the applied TFA. Although TFA was present in the soil water and surface water of the seep, no TFA was detected in the stream water downstream of the seep. In the upland forest TFA moved rapidly down the soil profile reaching the top of the C horizon 2-3 weeks after surface application. Short-term movement of TFA in soil mesocosms and upland forest is controlled by hydrologic processes, but further research will be necessary to determine whether plant or microbial uptake significantly influence the fate of TFA in more mesic sites.

• OSTI ID: 107123
• Report Number(s): CONF-9507129--
• Journal Information: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 76; ISSN BECLAG; ISSN 0012-9623
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS
DECOMPOSITION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVALUATION
FORESTS
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
OZONE