1,2-Dichloroethane
Definition of 1,2-dichloroethane:
1,2-Dichloroethane is a clear chemically manufactured liquid. It evaporates quickly at room temperature and has a pleasant smell and a sweet taste. The most common use of 1,2-dichloroethane is to make vinyl chloride, which is used to make a variety of plastic and vinyl products including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes and other important construction materials, packaging materials, furniture and automobile upholstery, wall coverings, housewares and auto mobile parts. [1]
This is the common definition for 1,2-dichloroethane, other definitions can be discussed in the article
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Notes
| 1,2-Dichloroethane |
|---|
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| Formula |
| C2H4Cl2 |
US annual production of 1,2-dichloroethane averaged around 7 million tonnes in the 1990s. It can enter the environment during manufacture, transport or use. Most 1,2-dichloroethane is released to the air, although some is released to rivers or lakes. [1]
1,2-Dichloroethane can evaporate rapidly from water or soils to the atmosphere where it is slowly degraded. It can persist in the atmosphere, with a half-life of 5 months and can be transported over large distances. It has a moderate water solubility of 8,69 g/l and is not expected to adsorb to particles or sediments. In water it is also slowly degraded, almost not biodegraded and most removal takes place by evaporation. The half-life of 1,2-dichloroethane in water due to evaporation is 10 days. 1,2-Dichloroethane doesn't have a tendency to bioaccumulate and is therefore not expected to biomagnify through food chains.[1]
Concentrations of 1,2-dichloroethane which cause acute toxicity to marine fish are above 118 mg/l. the concentration which cause acute toxicity to fresh water fish, marine invertebrates and marine algae are above 30 mg/l, 36 mg/l and 100 mg/l respectively. [2]
It is suspected that 1,2-dichloroethane in the North Sea might reach concentrations up to 6,4 µg/l in heavily polluted coastal areas, concentrations in polluted estuaries typically range around 0,5 µg/l and those in open seas around 0.005 µg/l. [2]
Environmental standards and legislation
Included in the water framework list of priority substances
