title: Environmental hazard assessment of chemicals and products. Part VI. Abiotic degradation in the troposphere.
abstract: The atmosphere constitutes an important sink for many volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (Part II). Even non-volatile compounds may enter the troposphere due to incomplete burning of fuel and industrial, agricultural and traffic-related processes. Depending on vapour pressure, temperature and content of aerosol particles, chemicals prefer the free gas phase, the surface of the particles, or both compartments. Polar compounds (low Henry-coefficient) may dissolve in cloud- and fog droplets. Clearly, the prefered compartment influences the dominant abiotic degradation path. In this paper, a survey is given about the distribution and degradation pathways of chemicals in the troposphere. In the free gas phase of the troposphere, the reaction with OH-radicals is the dominant degradation path. In addition, the reactions with ozone and nitrate-radicals, and direct photochemical reactions also play a role in abiotic degradation.
authors.affiliation: C.A.U. GmbH, Dreieich/Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klöpffer
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010126:Ozone / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010316:Particle Size; D010777:Photochemistry; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C031701:nitrogen trioxide; D010126:Ozone