Haloacetic acids are atmospheric oxidation products of airborne C2-halocarbons which are important solvents and propellants. Levels of trichloroacetate (TCA) in conifer needles from mountain ranges in Germany (Black Forest, Erzgebirge) and from two sites in Finland are compared; TCA is present in conifer needles at concentrations up to 0.7 μmol/kg, MCA up to 0.2 μmol/kg. At the Finnish sites, TCA-concentrations and branch degeneration symptoms of Scots pine are correlated. Monochloroacetate (MCA) has been determined in needle samples from Southern Germany in concentrations exceeding its phytotoxicity threshold towards photoautotrophic organisms. Data on atmospheric chloroacetate levels in Germany are also given; ambient air levels of chloroacetic acids range from about 2 pmol/m(3) (TCA) to 390 pmol/m(3) (MCA). TCA and dichloroacetic acid (DCA) arise from atmospheric oxidation of airborne C2-chlorocarbons, while the source of MCA is not yet known; several tentative pathways are suggested.
Haloacetates in various environmental compartments can be determined by gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical-ionization mass spectrometry after derivatization with 1-pentafluorophenyl diazoethane. Detection limits in absolute amounts per injection are between 0.01 fg (chlorodifluoroacetate) and 80 fg (monofluoroacetate). Sampling of haloacetates in urban air was performed by means of cylindrical denuders coated with alkalized glycerol. The haloacetates detected are trifluoro-, monochloro-, dichloro-, trichloro-, monobromo-, and dibromoacetate. The concentrations in ambient air fluctuate strongly, e.g. between 20 and 3000 pg/m3 for TFA. Haloacetates are also found in river waters and tree foliage. A major problem is interference from contamination with trifluoro-and trichloroacetate.
Fibrous depth filters are frequently used for the purification of gas streams with low dust loadings, as well as processes where a high initial filtration efficiency is required (e.g., clean rooms for aseptic production). One tool suitable for supporting the development of optimized filter media is the use of numerical simulations. The drawback of this technique is the high computational resources required. In this work, a new and fast approach based on a one-dimensional model was applied. Structural characteristics (e.g., porosity distribution and fiber diameter) of two different filter media were successfully determined using a novel X-ray microscope. These characteristics were incorporated in the filtration model, and their influence on the calculations was evaluated. It was found that the porosity distribution does have an impact on local (microscopic) deposition rates, but only a minor influence on the macroscopic filtration efficiency (around 3%). Benefits of the model are the application of measured structural data and the low computational expense. Compared to experimental data (VDI 3926 / ISO 11057), the prediction of the filtration efficiency can be improved by incorporating the structural data in the model.
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