Premium
Occurrence, sources, and fate of trichloroacetic acid in swiss waters
Author(s) -
Müller Stephan R.,
Zweifel HansRudolf,
Kinnison David J.,
Jacobsen Jens A.,
Meier Markus A.,
Ulrich Markus M.,
Schwarzenbach René P.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620150907
Subject(s) - rainwater harvesting , trichloroacetic acid , surface water , environmental chemistry , effluent , environmental science , groundwater , acid rain , chemistry , hydrology (agriculture) , wastewater , pollution , environmental engineering , chromatography , geology , ecology , biology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
The occurrence, sources, and fate of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) has been investigated in surface waters, ground waters, drinking waters, wastewaters, and rainwater in Switzerland. The concentrations found in surface waters varied between less than 27 ng/L (limit of quantification) and 340 ng/L, whereas the concentrations in ground water were always below 27 ng/L. It was found that the main sources of TCA in surface waters were the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (average concentration, 430 ng/L; range, 40‐1060 ng/L). The average TCA concentration in rainwater was 300 ng/L range, (<27‐900 ng/L). A dynamic mathematical model revealed that TCA is not significantly degraded in a lake (half‐life >230 d). A detailed mass balance in the catchment area of a small lake (Greifensee) and a very rough mass balance over Switzerland indicate that rain is the major source of TCA in Switzerland (>90%), but they also show that about 60 to 80% of the TCA deposited by rain is eliminated, most probably in the soil.