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Biodegradability and microbial toxicity of aircraft fuel system icing inhibitors
Author(s) -
Meshako C. E.,
Bleckmann C. A.,
Goltz M. N.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
environmental toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1522-7278
pISSN - 1520-4081
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1522-7278(1999)14:4<383::aid-tox2>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - biodegradation , biochemical oxygen demand , biocide , environmental chemistry , chemical oxygen demand , chemistry , toxicity , ecotoxicology , diethylene glycol , ecotoxicity , pulp and paper industry , environmental science , sewage treatment , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , ethylene glycol , engineering
In a pollution prevention and chemical substitution effort, the U.S. Air Force and Navy formed a joint initiative to find safer, more environmentally acceptable jet fuel system icing inhibitors (FSII) for military aircraft. Standard biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) analysis and variations of the BOD procedure were used as simple screening tools to evaluate the potential for aquatic biodegradation and microbial toxicity of proposed FSIIs. This laboratory evaluation of biological properties allows prediction of the biotreatability of the chemicals in wastewater treatment plants, and their potential application as biocides at higher concentrations. The current FSII, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (DiEGME) was evaluated along with two new candidate compounds, dipropylene glycol and glycerol formal. At a low concentration (3.5 mg/L), DiEGME exerted a BOD 5 of about 27% of theoretical oxygen demand. Test concentrations of ≥7 mg/L had decreasing oxygen consumption rate and extent, typical of a material with potential aquatic microbial toxicity. Dipropylene glycol began to moderately degrade only after more than 3 weeks exposure to microorganisms obtained from raw sewage. Glycerol formal showed no signs of biodegradation during a 5‐week test period. In a simple microbial toxicity test DiEGME was most toxic, dipropylene glycol was moderately toxic, and glycerol formal showed little toxicity. At low concentrations (7 mg/L), none of the chemicals significantly inhibited microbial activity ( P =0.34). ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 14: 383–390, 1999