Environmental risk assessment of airborne trichloroacetic acid––a contribution to the discussion on the significance of anthropogenic and natural sources

Ahlers, J.; Regelmann, Jürgen; Riedhammer, Caroline

doi:10.1016/s0045-6535(03)00201-7

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Some field studies have shown correlations between TCA in needles and extent of needle loss ( Frank et al, 1992) while others have shown none ( Juuti et al, 1996). Although TCA is only one of many air pollutants or other stress factors that may be involved in tree damage, risk assessments are required for those chlorinated solvents that are known to contribute to production of TCA through photo-oxidation in the atmosphere (Ahlers et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluxes of trichloroacetic acid through a conifer forest canopy

Stidson

Heal

Dickey

et al. 2004

Environmental Pollution

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Controlled-dosing experiments with conifer seedlings have demonstrated an above-ground route of uptake for trichloroacetic acid (TCA) from aqueous solution into the canopy, in addition to uptake from the soil. The aim of this work was to investigate the loss of TCA to the canopy in a mature conifer forest exposed only to environmental concentrations of TCA by analysing above- and below-canopy fluxes of TCA and within-canopy instantaneous reservoir of TCA. Concentrations and fluxes of TCA were quantified for one year in dry deposition, rainwater, cloudwater, throughfall, stemflow and litterfall in a 37-year-old Sitka spruce and larch plantation in SW Scotland. Above-canopy TCA deposition was dominated by rainfall (86%), compared with cloudwater (13%) and dry deposition (1%). On average only 66% of the TCA deposition passed through the canopy in throughfall and stemflow (95% and 5%, respectively), compared with 47% of the wet precipitation depth. Consequently, throughfall concentration of TCA was, on average, approximately 1.4 x rainwater concentration. There was no significant difference in below-canopy fluxes between Sitka spruce and larch, or at a forest-edge site. Annual TCA deposited from the canopy in litterfall was only approximately 1-2% of above-canopy deposition. On average, approximately 800 microg m(-2) of deposited TCA was lost to the canopy per year, compared with estimates of above-ground TCA storage of approximately 400 and approximately 300 microg m(-2) for Sitka spruce and larch, respectively. Taking into account likely uncertainties in these values ( approximately +/- 50%), these data yield an estimate for the half-life of within-canopy elimination of TCA in the range 50-200 days, assuming steady-state conditions and that all TCA lost to the canopy is transferred into the canopy material, rather than degraded externally. The observations provide strong indication that an above-ground route is important for uptake of TCA specifically of atmospheric origin into mature forest canopies, as has been shown for seedlings (in addition to uptake from soil via transpiration), and that annualized within-canopy elimination is similar to that in controlled-dosing experiments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluxes of trichloroacetic acid through a conifer forest canopy

Stidson

Heal

Dickey

et al. 2004

Environmental Pollution

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“…It is known to be a disinfection by-product formed during drinking water chlorination and it has also been detected in effluents from paper manufacturing. [5][6][7] The atmospheric oxidation of perchlorethylene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane emitted from industries may also lead to the formation of TCAA. [5] TCAA has been widely used many years as a herbicide in agriculture and as a polymerization catalyst in the chemical industry.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…TCAA can originate from anthropogenic and natural sources. It is known to be a disinfection by‐product formed during drinking water chlorination and it has also been detected in effluents from paper manufacturing . The atmospheric oxidation of perchlorethylene and 1,1,1‐trichloroethane emitted from industries may also lead to the formation of TCAA .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Position‐specific carbon isotope analysis of trichloroacetic acid by gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Breider

Hunkeler

2011

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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Trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) is an important environmental contaminant present in soils, water and plants. A method for determining the carbon isotope signature of the trichloromethyl position in TCAA using gas chromatography/ combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) was developed and tested with TCAA from different origins. Position-specific isotope analysis (PSIA) can provide direct information on the kinetic isotope effect for isotope substitution at a specific position in the molecule and/or help to distinguish different sources of a compound. The method is based on the degradation of TCAA into chloroform (CF) and CO2 by thermal decarboxylation. Since thermal decarboxylation is associated with strong carbon isotope fractionation (« = 34.6 0.2%) the reaction conditions were optimized to ensure full conversion. The combined isotope ratio of CF and CO2 at the end of the reaction corresponded well to the isotope ratio of TCAA, confirming the reliability of the method. A method quantification limit (MQL) for TCAA of 18.6 mg/L was determined. Samples of TCAA produced by enzymatic and non-enzymatic chlorination of natural organic matter (NOM) and some industrially produced TCAA were used as exemplary sources. Significant different PSIA isotope ratios were observed between industrial TCAA and TCAA samples produced by chlorination of NOM. This highlights the potential of the method to study the origin and the fate of TCAA in the environment.

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“…In addition, TCA has been used as astringent and antiseptic, and polymerization catalyst (US EPA, 2001). Atmospheric oxidation of tetrachloroethylene and other volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCH) has also been considered to be a major source of TCA (Ahlers et al, 2003). TCA is also produced during oxidative water treatment, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical Transformation of Trichloroacetic Acid to Chloroform in Fresh Waters – The Results Based Upon Laboratory Experiments

Xiang

Jing

Zhang

et al. 2005

Water Air Soil Pollut

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In order to explore the geochemical transformation of trichloroacetic acid to chloroform in fresh waters, an experimental study by using laboratory microcosms was performed. The study confirmed the abiotic transformation of TCA to chloroform with various rate constants, ranging from approx. 3.29×10 −4 day −1 to 4.41×10 −4 day −1 , in different fresh waters at 25±1 • C. Also, an induction period (5-6 days) was observed before apparent degradation of TCA. Of the four geochemical factors including pH, oxygen, humic substances and ferric ion, the influence of lake HA, extracted from East Lake, on the transformation has been proven to be more substantial. Several model substances of HA, such as acetic acid, citric acid and β-Resorcylic acid etc., were also found to promote chloroform formation. Whilst, the results of pH effect experiments showed that higher yields of chloroform released from TCA solution occurred in the intensified alkaline media (pH = 10), an unusual condition in environment, indicating the limited effect of pH on the transformation under prevailing conditions in natural waters. According to our study, a mathematic model was built and successfully used to simulate TCA transformation to chloroform in fresh waters. Mathematic simulation demonstrates that the rates of decay for chloroform formation, after induction time, are mainly owing to rapid TCA degradation. In addition, biotic experiments indicated that fresh water algae affect TCA transformation to chloroform in varying degrees. The blue alga Anabaena cylindrica remarkably promoted chloroform formation, in weak acid media (pH = 6.5). While, the green alga Chlorella vulgari seems to indistinctively affect chloroform formation, whether in alkaline or weak acidic media. Enzyme or other byproducts of alga, such as citric acid, might play roles in the TCA transformation.

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Environmental risk assessment of airborne trichloroacetic acid––a contribution to the discussion on the significance of anthropogenic and natural sources

Cited by 7 publications

References 13 publications

Fluxes of trichloroacetic acid through a conifer forest canopy

Fluxes of trichloroacetic acid through a conifer forest canopy

Position‐specific carbon isotope analysis of trichloroacetic acid by gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Geochemical Transformation of Trichloroacetic Acid to Chloroform in Fresh Waters – The Results Based Upon Laboratory Experiments

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