Organizing data for environmental studies

摘要

AbstractUsing the vapor pressure, water solubility and molecular weight of a chemical, the partitioning of that chemical between the major environmental compartments can be quickly assessed. Thus it is possible to estimate what percentage of the chemical will be located in the ground, bottom sediments, water and air. Combining this information with a knowledge of the known degradation rates an estimation of the relative persistence of the chemical can be made. The technique is illustrated by ranking 84 of the 119 priority pollutants according to their potentials for contaminating water. A final example demonstrates how the model may be used to identify the potential environmental impact of a new chemical.