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U.S. EPA Contaminated Site Cleanup Information (CLU-IN)


U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division

Dense Nonaqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs)

Chemistry and Behavior

Halogenated Alkanes

Ethanes

1,2-Dichloroethane

1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloroethane (1,2-DCA, CAS# 107-06-2) has a vapor pressure of 70.1 mm Hg at 25oC (ATSDR 2001) and is a class IB flammable liquid (NIOSH 2005). ATSDR (2001) gives 1.48 for the log Kow of 1,2-DCA, a range of 1.28 to 1.62 for the log Koc, and 1.1 e-3 atm-m3/mole (20oC) for the Henry's constant. The solubility of the chemical is about 8,690 mg/L at 20oC, and its specific gravity is about 1.23 (ATSDR 2001). The ATSDR toxicological profile for 1,2-DCA contains a useful summary tableAdobe PDF Logo of the compound's physical properties.

The relatively low calculated Koc value for 1,2-DCA in soil indicates that 1,2-DCA is likely to move quickly through soil and sediment (ATSDR 2001).

Based on a Henry's law constant of 1.1x10-3 atm-m3/mol at 20oC, 1,2-DCA is expected to volatilize rapidly from water surfaces (ATSDR 2001). Modeling information for this chemical in the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) suggests that the half life of 1,2-DCA is about four hours in a river one meter deep and about four days in a lake.

Because of its low Kow, bioaccumulation is not expected to occur to any significant extent. 1,2-DCA can be degraded by microbial action under aerobic and, to a more limited extent, anaerobic conditions (ATSDR 2001).

When released to the atmosphere, hydroxyl radicals are expected to degrade 1,2-DCA with a half life of about 73 days. The transformation products from the reaction of 1,2-DCA with hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere include formyl chloride, chloroacetyl chloride, hydrogen chloride, and chloroethanol. Direct photolysis is not expected to occur (ATSDR 2001).

References

1,2-Dichloroethane
PubChem
PubChem, National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Ethylene Dichloride
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 2005

Toxicological Profile for 1,2-Dichloroethane
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), 297 pp, 2001

For Further Information

DNAPL Site Evaluation Adobe PDF Logo
Cohen, R. and J. Mercer.
EPA 600-R-93-022, 369 pp, 1993

This document has a broad discussion of DNAPL site evaluation and contains a comprehensive table of physical properties of selected DNAPL chemicals, including 1,2-DCA, in its Appendix A.