United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
4601
EPA811-F-95-003p-T
October 1995
Primary Drinking
Water Regulations
Ethylene Dibromide
CHEMICAL/ PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CAS NUMBER: 106-93-4
COLOR/ FORM/ODOR: Colorless; heavy liquid;
mildly sweet chloroform-like odor.
M.P.: 9.8° C B.P.: 131-132° C
VAPOR PRESSURE: 11.2 mm Hg
DENSITY/SPEC. GRAV.: 2.2 g/ml
OCTANOL/WATER PARTITION (Kow):
LogKow = 135 >
SOLUBILITIES: 40 g/L of water at 25° C
SOIL SORPTION COEFFICIENT (Koc):
low to moderate; Koc = 14 to 160
ODOR/TASTE THRESHOLDS: N/A
BIOCONCENTRATION FACTOR: <1 in fish
HENRY'S LAW COEFFICIENT: N/A
TRADE NAMES/SYNONYMS:
1,2-Dibromoethane; EDB; Glycol
dibromide; Bromofume; Dowfume W 85;
Aadibroom; Iscobrome-D; Nefis;
Pestmaster; EDB-85; Soilbrom;
Soilfume; Kopfume
DRINKING WATER STANDARDS
MCLG: zero mg/l
MCL: 0.00005 mg/l
HAL(child): 1 day: 0.008 mg/l
10-day: 0.008 mg/l
HEALTH EFFECTS SUMMARY
Acute: EPA has found ethylene dibromide (EDB) to
potentially cause a variety of acute health effects, includ-
ing damage to the liver, stomach, and adrenal cortex
along with significant reproductive system toxicity, par-
ticularly the testes.
Drinking water levels which are considered "safe" for
short-term exposures: For a 10-kg (22 Ib.) child consum-
ing 1 liter of water per day, a one-day exposure of 0.008
mg/L or a ten-day exposure to 0.008 mg/L.
Chronic: A lifetime exposure to EDB at levels above
the MCL has the potential to damage the respiratory
system, nervous system, liver, heart, and kidneys.
Cancer: There is some evidence that EDB may have
the potential to cause cancer from a lifetime exposure at
levels above the MCL.
USAGE PATTERNS
Ethylene dibromide is mainly used (83% of all use) as
a scavenger for lead in anti-knock gasoline mixtures,
particularly in aviation fuel. Other uses (17%) include:
solvent for resins, gums, and waxes; in waterproofing
preparations; as a chemical intermediate in the synthesis
of dyes and Pharmaceuticals; and as a fumigant, insec-
ticide, nematicide for grains and fruit.
RELEASE PATTERNS -
Monitoring of ethylene bromide in ocean water and
ocean air suggests that ethylene bromide may be formed
naturally in the ocean as a result of macro algae growth.
Artificial releases include: evaporative losses associ-
ated with the use, storage, and transport of leaded
gasoline in which it is used as a lead scavenger; spills and
leaking storage tanks for leaded gasoline; exhaust from
vehicles using leaded gasoline; emissions from its former
use as a fumigant for soil, grain, fruits, vegetables,
tobacco, and seed uses which have recently been re-
stricted or discontinued; wastewater and emissions from
its use as a solvent for resins, gums, and waxes and; as
a chemical intermediate in the synthesis of dyes and
Pharmaceuticals; residue in fumigated food.
\
From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxics Release
Toxic RELEASE INVENTORY -
RELEASES TO WATER AND LAND:
1987 TO 1993
Water
TOTALS (in pounds) 2,554
Top Six States
CA 344
MS 342
HI 750
NJ 0
TX 110
PR 500
Top Industrial Sources
Petroleum refining 2,119
Industrial organic 355
chemicals, fertilizers
Land
2,670
500
500
0
700
466
0
1,716
700
October 1995
Technical Version
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Inventory EDB releases to land totalled 2,670 Ibs., and
water releases totalled 2,554 Ibs. These releases were
primarily from facilities classified as petroleum refineries.
The largest of these releases occurred in California and
Missouri.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
When spilled on land or applied to land during soil
fumigation, ethylene dibromide will exhibit low to moder-
ate adsorption and has been found in groundwater.
Measured KOC values range from 14 to 160. However,
in typical fields where gaseous ethylene ,dibromide has
been used as a soil fumigant, 99% of the ethylene
dibromide used in fumigation is in the sorbed state.
Persistence can vary greatly from soil to soil. In one
laboratory screening study using 100 soils, half-lives
ranging from 1.5 to 18 weeks were determined. In one
field, ethylene bromide was detected in soil 19 years after
its last known application; the long persistence was the
result of entrapment in intraparticle micropores of the soil.
Low Koc values and detection in various ground waters
indicate that ethylene bromide will leach in soil. The
relatively high vapor pressure (11.2 mm Hg) indicates
evaporation will occur from soil surfaces.
In the atmosphere, ethylene dibromide will degrade by
reaction with photochemically produced hydroxyl radi-
cals (half life 32 days).
The primary removal process for ethylene bromide in
surface water is volatilization. Under normal conditions,
the volatilization half-life from a typical river and lake are
about one day and 5 days, respectively.
In ground waters (such as aquifers) where volatiliza-
tion does not occur, ethylene bromide can be degraded
by biodegradation and hydrolysis. Uncatalyzed hydroly-
sis is slow, with half-lives reported of 6 yr at 25 deg C, to
13.2 yr at pH7 and 20 deg C. But hydrolysis catalyzed by
the presence of various natural substances (such as HS
ion) may be competitive with biodegradation (half-life of
1-2 months). It reacts with photochemically produced
hydroxyl radicals with a half life of 32 days or a 2.2% loss
per sunlit day. Ethylene bromide does not directly photo-
lyze when exposed to uv light between 300 and 400 nm.
Biodegradation can be a primary degradation process
in soil. A review of available biodegradation data pertain-
ing to ethylene bromide concluded that ethylene bromide
is biotransformed fairly readily in the environment; life-
times can be as short as several days in surface soils and
as long as many months in aquifer materials.
The measured log BCF in fish is < 1 indicating that
ethylene dibromide does not bioconcentrate in fish.
OTHER REGULATORY INFORMATION
MONITORING:
FOR GROUND/SURFACE WATER SOURCES:
INITIAL FREQUENCY- 4 quarterly samples every 3 years
REPEAT FREQUENCY- If no detections during initial round:
2 quarterly per year if serving >3300 persons;
1 sample per 3 years for smaller systems
TRIGGERS - Return to Initial Freq. if detect at > 0.00001 mg/L
ANALYSIS:
REFERENCE SOURCE METHOD NUMBERS
EPA 600/4-88-039 504.1; 551
TREATMENT:
BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Granular Activated Charcoal
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
• National Pesticide Hotline - 800/858-7378
October 1995
Technical Version
Page 2
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