Laboratory Protocols for Evaluating the Fate of Organic Chemicals in Air and Water

摘要

Laboratory test procedures (or protocols) have been developed to provide data useful in evaluating the environmental fate of organic compounds in natural aquatic systems and in the atmosphere. Screening-level protocols are described to estimate rate constants for hydrolysis, photolysis, oxidation, biotransformation, and volatilization processes in natural aquatic systems; a screening protocol for measurement of partition coefficients for sorption of organic chemicals to sediments is also described. Detailed test protocols have been developed for the hydrolysis, photolysis, volatilization, and sediment-sorption processes to obtain more accurate and precise data for use in environmental assessments applied to aquatic systems. Screening and detailed test protocols are described for estimating rate constants for the atmospheric photolysis and oxidation of organic compounds. For each process, the theory and the present state of knowledge regarding the environment are reviewed, and some common methods currently in use are critically evaluated.