«EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
4601
EPA 811-F-95-004c-T
October 1995
National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations
Carbon tetrachloride
CHEMICAL/ PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CAS NUMBER: 56-23-5
COLOR/ FORM/ODOR: Colorless, clear, heavy
liquid; sweet aromatic odor similar to
chloroform
M.P.: -23° C B.P.: 76.54° C
VAPOR PRESSURE: 91.3 mm Hg at 20° C
DENSITY/SPEC. GRAV.: 1.59 at 20° C
OCTANOL/WATER PARTITION (Kow):
Log Kow = 2.62 to 2.83
SOLUBILITIES: 1.2 g/L of water at 25° C
SOIL SORPTION COEFFICIENT:
Koc = 71; moves readily through soil
ODOR/TASTE THRESHOLDS:
Odor threshold in water is 0.52 mg/L
HENRY'S LAW COEFFICIENT:
0.0304 atm-cu m/mole at 24.8° C
BlOCONCENTRATION FACTOR (BCF):
Log BCF = 1.24 to 1.48 in fish;
not significant
TRADE NAMES/SYNONYMS: Perchloromethane;
Methane tetrachloride; Benzinoform;
Univerm; Necatorina; Facsiolin; Flukoids;
R10 (refrigerant); Tetraform; Tetrasol;
Freon 10; Halon 104
DRINKING WATER STANDARDS
MCLG: zero
MCL: 0.005 mg/L
HAL: 1 day: 4 rng/L
10-day: 0.2 mg/L
HEALTH EFFECTS SUMMARY
Acute: EPA has found carbon tetrachloride to poten-
tially cause liver kidney and lung damage when people
are exposed to it in drinking water at levels above the
MCL for relatively short periods of time.
Drinking water levels which are considered "safe" for
short-term exposures: Fora 10-kg (22 Ib.) child consum-
ing 1 liter of water per day: a one-day exposure of 4 mg/
L; a ten-day exposure to 0.2 mg/L; upto a 7-year expo-
sure to 0.07 mg/L.
Chronic: Carbon tetrachloride has the potential to
cause liver damage from a lifetime exposure at levels
above the MCL.
Cancer: There is some evidence that carbon tetra-
chloride has the potential to cause liver cancer from a
lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL.
USAGE PATTERNS
Production of carbon tetrachloride in 1988 was 761
nillion Ibs; most of it is used for chemical synthesis of
fluorocarbons and this has been declining at a rate of
7.9%/yr.
Formerly used as dry cleaning agent and fire extin-
guisher, its production peaked in the USA in 1974. EPA
regulation of fluorocarbon propellants will continue the
trend in production cutback unless new applications are
found for the chemical.
Its solvent uses include: solvent for rubber cement;
cleaning agent for machinery and electrical equipment;
for reducing fire hazard of grain fumigants; in soap
perfumery and insecticides; in Pharmaceuticals; for cable
and semiconductor manufacture; as plasma etching gases
for etching aluminum in integrated circuits; for oils, fats,
Toxic RELEASE INVENTORY -
RELEASES TO WATER AND LAND:
1987 TO 1993
Water
TOTALS (in pounds) 52,719
Top Releases by State"
TX 22,922
WV 4
LA 7,720
AL 8,205
CA 20
Major Industries*
Alkalies, chlorine 31,147
Inorganic chemicals 8,796
Petroleum refining 4,450
Misc. Indust. Organics 3,266
Agricultural chems. 817
Land
23,078
75
14,443
2,213
0
2,400
17,545
460
1,530
377
2,400
* Water/Land totals only include facilities with releases
greater than a certain amount - usually 1000 to 10,000 Ibs.
October 1995
Technical Version
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lacquers, varnishes, rubber waxes, resins. pected to be highly mobile in soil and only slightly ad-
In chemical manufacture its uses include: in polymer sorbed to sediment.
technology as reaction medium, catalyst; in synthesis of Carbon tetrachloride has a low potential to bioconcen-
nylon-7 and other organic chlorination processes; in the trate. Log of the bioconcentration factor in trout is 1.24, in
formulation of petrol additives; in organic synthesis for bluegill sunfish -1.48.
chlorination of organic compounds; catalyst regenera-
tion; a chemical intermediate for fluorocarbons
RELEASE PATTERNS
In Soil: Carbon tetrachloride occurs due to spills, run-
off from agricultural sites, dumping, and through landfill
leaching.
In Surface Waters: Carbon tetrachloride occurs as a
result of industrial and agricultural activities, some may
reach surface water through rainfall. Waste water from
iron and steel manufacturing, foundries, metal finishing,
paint and ink formulations, petroleum refining and non-
ferrous metal manufacturing industries contain carbon
tetrachloride.
In Air: The major source of carbon tetrachloride is
industrial emission. The total nationwide emissions of
carbon tetrachloride in 1978 from all sources was esti-
mated at 65 million Ib (4.5 million Ib from production
facilities). The primary source of these emissions is
solvent uses.
From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxic Release
Inventory, carbon tetrachloride releases to watertotalled
nearly 53,000 Ibs. Releases to land totalled over 23,000
Ibs. These releases were primarily from chemical manu-
facturing industries which use it in chlorination processes.
The largest releases occurred in Texas.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
In the troposphere, carbon tetrachloride is extremely
stable (residence time of 30-50 years). The primary loss
process is by escape to the stratosphere where it photo-
lyzes. As a result of its emission into the atmosphere and
slow degradation, the amount of carbon tetrachloride in
the atmosphere has been increasing. Some carbon
tetrachloride released to the atmosphere is expected to
partition into the ocean.
In water systems, evaporation appears to be the most
important removal process, although biodegradation may
occur under aerobic and anaerobic conditions (limited
data). Hydrolysis half-life in water is 7000 years at 25 deg
C
Releases or spills on soil should result in rapid evapo-
ration due to high vapor pressure and leaching in soil
resulting in groundwater contamination due to its low
adsorption to soil. A measured KOC of 71 was reported.
Estimated retardation factor in breakthrough sampling in
groundwater is 1.44 - 1.8. Carbon tetrachloride is ex-
OTHER REGULATORY INFORMATION
MONITORING:
FOR GROUND/SURFACE WATER SOURCES:
INITIAL FREQUENCY- 4 quarterly samples every 3 years
REPEAT FREQUENCY- Annually after 1 year of no detection
TRIGGERS - Return to Initial Freq. if detect at > 0.0005 mg/L
ANALYSIS:
REFERENCE SOURCE
EPA 600/4-88-039
METHOD NUMBERS
502.2; 524.2; 551
TREATMENT:
BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Granular Activated Charcoal and Packed Tower Aeration
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
* EPA can provide further regulatory and other general information;
EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline - 800/426-4791
* Other sources of lexicological and environmental fate data include:
Toxic Substance Control Act Information Line - 202/554-1404
Toxics Release Inventory, National Library of Medicine - 301/496-6531
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - 404/639-6000
October 1995
Technical Version
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