Description, Properties, and Degradation of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds Detected in Ground Water — a Review of Selected Literature
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Prepared in cooperation with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Description, Properties, and Degradation of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds Detected in Ground Water — A Review of Selected Literature Open-File Report 2006-1338 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Description, Properties, and Degradation of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds Detected in Ground Water — A Review of Selected Literature By Stephen J. Lawrence Prepared in cooperation with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Open-File Report 2006–1338 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2006 This report is a Web-only publication: http://pubs.usgs.gov/ofr/2006/1338/. For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS — The Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Lawrence, S.J., 2006, Description, properties, and degradation of selected volatile organic compounds detected in ground water — A Review of Selected Literature: Atlanta, Georgia, U. S. Geological Survey, Open-File Report 2006-1338, 62 p., a Web-only publication at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ofr/2006/1338/. iii Contents Abbreviations and Acronyms.......................................................................................................... vi Conversion Factors ........................................................................................................................... vii Abstract .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................................. 1 Available Literature Addressing Volatile Organic Compounds ........................................ 1 Naming Conventions and Descriptions of Volatile Organic Compounds in Ground Water ....................................................................................................................... 3 Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds Detected in Ground Water ........................................ 6 Sources of Chlorinated Alkanes ............................................................................................ 6 Sources of Chlorinated Alkenes and Benzenes ................................................................. 9 Sources of Gasoline Compounds .......................................................................................... 9 BTEX Compounds (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene) ........................ 10 Methyl Tert-butyl Ether .................................................................................................. 10 Basic Properties of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds ...................................................... 10 Degradation of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds in Ground Water ............................... 10 Degradation of the Chlorinated Alkanes .............................................................................. 17 Abiotic Transformation ................................................................................................... 17 Aerobic Biodegradation ................................................................................................ 20 Anaerobic Biodegradation ........................................................................................... 20 Degradation of the Chlorinated Alkenes .............................................................................. 21 Aerobic Biodegradation ................................................................................................ 21 Anaerobic Biodegradation ............................................................................................ 23 Degradation of the Chlorinated Benzenes .......................................................................... 24 Degradation of the Gasoline Compounds ............................................................................ 25 Aerobic Biodegradation of BTEX Compounds .......................................................... 25 Anaerobic Biodegradation of BTEX Compounds ...................................................... 27 Aerobic Biodegradation of Methyl Tert-butyl Ether .................................................. 30 Anaerobic Biodegradation of Methyl Tert-butyl Ether ............................................. 31 References Cited............................................................................................................................... 36 Glossary .............................................................................................................................................. 50 iv Figures 1–19. Diagrams Showing— 1. Generic and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry naming conventions for the same aliphatic compound .......................................................... 5 2. Relation between degree of chlorination and anaerobic reductive- dechlorination, aerobic degradation and sorption onto subsurface material ...... 16 3. Laboratory-derived pathway for the abiotic degradation, anaerobic, and methanogenic biodegradation of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane; 1,1,2-trichloroethene; and 1,1,2-trichloroethane ........................................................ 18 4. Laboratory-derived pathway for the abiotic, aerobic, and anaerobic biodegradation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane ...................................................................... 19 5. Laboratory-derived pathway for the aerobic biodegradation of 1,2-dichloroethane ........................................................................................................... 20 6. Laboratory-derived pathways for the anaerobic biodegradation of tetrachloromethane (carbon tetrachloride) ................................................................ 21 7. Laboratory-derived pathways for the aerobic biodegradation of trichloroethene ............................................................................................................ 22 8. Laboratory-derived pathway for the anaerobic biodegradation of tetrachloroethene ....................................................................................................... 23 9. Laboratory-derived pathways for the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene ................................................................................................ 24 10. Laboratory-derived pathway for the aerobic biodegradation of 1,4-dichlorobenzene ........................................................................................................ 25 11. Laboratory-derived pathway for the aerobic biodegradation of chlorobenzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene. ................................................................... 26 12. Laboratory-derived pathways for the aerobic biodegradation of benzene, o-, and m-xylene .............................................................................................................. 28 13. Laboratory-derived pathways for the aerobic biodegradation of toluene ............ 29 14. Laboratory-derived pathways for the aerobic biodegradation of p-xylene .......... 30 15. Laboratory-derived pathway for the aerobic biodegradation of ethylbenzene .... 31 16. Field and laboratory-derived pathways for the anaerobic biodegradation of the BTEX compounds — benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene ................... 33 17. Laboratory-derived pathway for the aerobic biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether ................................................................................................................. 34 18. Laboratory-derived pathway for the aerobic biodegradation of m-cresol ............ 35 19. Laboratory-derived pathways for the aerobic biodegradation of styrene ............ 35 v Tables 1. List of selected publications providing literature reviews and summaries of volatile organic compound degradation and behavior in ground water ................ 2 2. Names and synonyms of volatile organic compounds commonly detected in ground water .................................................................................................................... 4 3. The first four members of the straight-chain alkane series and associated alkyl radical ....................................................................................................................... 5 4. Volatile organic compounds ranked by those frequently detected in ground water near landfills and hazardous waste dumps in the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany .......................................................................................