Title: | Atmospheric pattern of volatile organochlorine compounds and hexachlorobenzene in the surroundings of a chlor-alkali plant |
Author(s): | van Drooge BL; Marco E; Grimalt JO; |
Address: | "Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: joan.grimalt@idaea.csic.es" |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.088 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-1026 (Electronic) 0048-9697 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The outdoor atmospheric distributions of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from locations receiving the emissions of a chlor-alkali plant have been studied. Trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene (medians 2.4?ª+mug/m(3) and 1.7?ª+mug/m(3), respectively) were the most abundant compounds, which was in accordance with the production processes from these installations. The concentrations of trichlorofluoromethane, median 1.6?ª+mug/m(3), are rather similar to the average levels described in general in the troposphere and cannot be attributed to this specific source. Several by-products involving dichloroacetylene, carbon tetrachloride, hexachloroethane, hexachlorobutadiene, trans-1H-pentachloro-1,3-butadiene, 2H-pentachloro-1,3-butadiene, cis-1H-pentachloro-1,3-butadiene, tetrachloro- and trichloro-butadienes and hexachlorobenzene were also identified. Some of these compounds, e.g. carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and tetrachloroethane, could also have been manufactured during some periods. The occurrence of these manufactured compounds and by-products in the atmosphere could also reflect, at least in part, volatilization during the extraction of previously discharged chlor-alkali residues developed within the environmental restoration program of the Flix water reservoir. In this respect, the tri-, tetra- and pentachloro-1,3-butadienes could also originate from microbial transformation in the solid deposits accumulated in the water reservoir which were volatilized after extraction. Among all identified VOCs, trichloroethylene showed the highest health risks considering the measured airborne concentrations and the WHO and USEPA recommendations" |
Keywords: | "Air Pollutants/*analysis Alkalies Atmosphere/chemistry *Environmental Monitoring Hexachlorobenzene/*analysis Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds/*analysis;" |
Notes: | "Medlinevan Drooge, Barend L Marco, Esther Grimalt, Joan O eng Netherlands 2018/02/18 Sci Total Environ. 2018 Jul 1; 628-629:782-790. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.088. Epub 2018 Feb 20" |