United States
                           Environmental Protection
                           Agency
                        Office of Water
                        4601
           EPA 811-F-95-004p-T
                 October 1995
   oEPA
National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations
                           Toluene
 CHEMICAL/ PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    OCTANOL/WATER PARTITION(KOW):
      Log Kow = 2.69
 CAS NUMBER: 108-88-3    ' .
                              SOLUBILITY: N/A; Slightly soluble in water
 COLOR/ FORM/ODOR:
    Colorless liquid with a sweet, benzene- SolL SORPTION COEFFICIENT:
    like odor
BlOCONCENTRATION FACTOR:
  BCFs: <100 in fish; <10 in shellfish; 380
  in algae; not expected to bioconcentrate
  in aquatic organisms.
 M.P.: -95° C   B.P.:  111°C

 VAPOR PRESSURE: 36.7 mm Hg at 30° C

 DENSITY/SPEC. GRAV.: 0.866 at 20° C
                                HENRY'S LAW COEFFICIENT:  N/A
      Koc measured at 37 to 178 in several
      soils; very high to moderate mobility in TRADE NAMES/SYNONYMS:
      soil                          Methylbenzene, Methacide,
                                  Phenylmethane, Toluol, Antisal 1A
    ODOR/TASTE THRESHOLDS:  Odor and
      taste thresholds in water are reported
      as 0.04 and 1 mg/L
DRINKING WATER STANDARDS
  MCLG:     1 mg/L
  MCL:       1 mg/L
  HAL(child):  1 day: 20 mg/L
                  Benzene, 46%; gasoline blending, 37%; solvent, 8%;
                  toluene diisocyanate, 7%; miscellaneous chemicals, 2%.
                    The largest chemical use for toluene is the production
                  of benzene and urethane via hydrodealkylation.
Longer-term: 2 mg/L

HEALTH EFFECTS SUMMARY
Acute: EPA has found toluene to potentially cause the
following health effects from acute exposures at levels
above the MCL: low oral toxicity to central nervous
system, may cause fatigue, nausea, weakness, confu-
sion.
Drinking water levels which are considered "safe" for
short-term exposures: Fora 22 Ib. child consuming 1 liter
of water per day: a one-day exposure to 20 mg/L; upto a
7-year exposure to 2 mg/L.
Chronic: Toluene has the potential to cause the
following health effects from long-term exposures at
levels above the MCL: spasms, tremors, imbalance;
impairment of speech, hearing, vision, memory, coordi-
nation; liver and kidney damage.

Cancer: There is inadequate evidence to state whether
or not toluene has the potential to cause cancer from
lifetime exposures in drinking water.

'JSAGE PATTERNS

Production of toluene has increased: from 5.1 billion
Ibs. in 1985 to 6.4 billion Ibs in 1993. In 1985, it was
estimated that industries consumed toluene as follows:
Toxic RELEASE INVENTORY -
RELEASES TO WATER AND LAND: 1987


Water
TOTALS* (in pounds) 732,31 0
Top Ten States*
TX 16,285
CA 0
CT 316,068
OK 0
VA 27,500
VI 2,970
IL 56
Ml 0
WV 117,523
SC 6,000

Major Industries*
Petroleum refining 227,196
Medicinals, botanicals 301,585
Petroleum/coal prods. . 38,856
Misc Ind. Chemicals 179,576
Gaskets, sealing devices 4,002
Wood office furniture 0
Plastics, resins 57,661
Wood home furniture 30,000
Paints, allied products 5,927

* Water/Land totals only include facilities with
greater than 10,000 Ibs.

ro 1993


Land
3,672,041

969,210
930,000
0
287,000
216,000
191,504
180,824
129,226
1,377
89,578


2,580,941
1,108
287,000
107,159
216,000
129,226
39,139
65,444
88,024

releases

October 1995
            Technical Version

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   Other uses  include; manufacture of benzoic  acid,
 benzaldehyde, explosives,  dyes, and many  other or-
 ganic compounds; as a  solvent for paints,  lacquers,
 gums, resins; in the extraction of various principles from
 plants; as gasoline additive; as a diluent for photogravure
 inks; in cements,  solvents, spot removers, cosmetics,
 antifreezes; an asphalt and naphtha constituent; in deter-
 gent manufacture; in fuel  blending

 RELEASE PATTERNS
  Toluene is released into  the atmosphere principally
from the volatilization of  petroleum  fuels and toluene-
 based solvents and thinners and from motor vehicle
exhaust. Considerable emissions are from: its discharge
 into waterways or spills  on land during the storage,
transport and disposal of fuels and oils; from its produc-
tion from petroleum  and coal; as  a  by-product  from
styrene production,  and  from its use as a  chemical
intermediate.
  From 1987 to 1993, according to EPA's Toxic Chemi-
cal Release Inventory, toluene  releases to  land and
water totalled  over 4 million Ibs., of which  about 83
 percent was to land. These releases were primarily from
 petroleum refining industries. The largest releases oc-
curred in  Texas  and California. The  largest  releases
directly to water occurred in Connecticut and West Vir-
ginia.

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
  If toluene is released to soil, it will be lost by evapora-
tion from near-surface soil and by leaching to the ground-
water. Based on the reported Koc values, toluene will be
expected to exhibit very  high to moderate in soil and
therefore may leach to the groundwater. Field data from
infiltration sites is conflicting; in one study toluene is
eliminated during bank infiltration, while in other studies
it penetrates infiltration sites. These results may bear on
site-related factors such as load, flow rate, soil character-
istics, and other loss factors such as  evaporation and
biodegradation. Reported Koc values: Wendover silty
loam, 37, Grimsby silt loam, 160, Vaudreil sandy loam,
46; sandy soil,  178; 100 and 151.
  Biodegradation occurs  both in soil and groundwater,
but it is apt to be slow especially at high concentrations,
which may be toxic to microorganisms. The presence of
acclimated  microbial  populations  may allow rapid bio-
degradation. Toluene completely degraded in ground-
water in 8 days including a lag of 3-4 days while microbial
 populations became acclimated. Other investigators found
that only 1-2% of toluene degraded in the subsurface
environment and less than 90% degraded in 4 weeks in
soil cores at various depths both above and below the
water table. It will not significantly hydrolyze in soil or
       water under normal environmental conditions.
         If toluene is released into water, its removal can be
       rapid or take several weeks, depending on temperature,
       mixing conditions, and acclimation of microorganisms.
       Toluene evaporates rapidly from water with an experi-
       mentally determined half-life of 2.9 to 5.7 hrfor evapora-
       tion from 1 m of water with moderate mixing conditions.
       In a mesocosm experiment with simulated conditions for
       Narragansett Bay, Rl, the loss was primarily by evapora-
       tion in winter with a half-life of  13 days. It will not signifi-
       cantly adsorb to sediment.
         If toluene is released to the atmosphere, it will degrade
       by reaction with photochemically produced hydroxyl radi-
       cals (half-life 3 hr to slightly over 1 day) or be washed out
       in rain. It will not be subject to  direct photolysis.
         It will not significantly bioconcentrate in aquatic organ-
       isms. Reported BCFs: eels, 13.2; Manila clam, 1.67;
       mussel, 4.2; algae, 380; golden ide fish, 90.
         The primary source of human exposure is from inhala-
       tion of contaminated ambient air, especially in traffic or
       near filling stations, or in occupational atmospheres
       where toluene-based solvents are used.
         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
         TREATMENT;
         BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES
         Granular Activated Charcoal and Packed Tower Aeration


         FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
         4 EPA can provide further regulatory and other general information:
         • EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline - 800/426-4791

         * Other sources of toxicological 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
                    Page 2

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