Atmospheric persistence of eight air toxics. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6658265

Cupitt, L T

Atmospheric lifetimes were estimated for eight air toxic chemicals (i.e., methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dichloride, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, 1,3-butadiene, and ethylene oxide). Seven of the eight chemicals were removed from the atmosphere primarily by reaction with OH radicals. Recommendations were made for the average conditions to use in estimating the lifetime of air toxics over the continental U.S. due to OH reactions. These conditions were then applied to the designated air toxics to derive estimates of the average atmospheric lifetimes. Lifetimes of the seven chemicals primarily removed by OH reaction ranged from around 4 hours to around 18 months. In the case of eighth chemical, carbon tetrachloride, the primary removal mechanism is unknown. Carbon tetrachloride has a very long atmospheric lifetime, estimated in the literature as around 50 years.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Atmospheric Sciences Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6658265
• Report Number(s): PB-87-145306/XAB; EPA-600/3-87/004
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHLOROFORM
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
LIFETIME
MATERIALS
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
TOXIC MATERIALS