THE THERMODYNAMICS OF LONG-LIVED ORGANIC POLLUTANTS

A thermodynamic model is presented for determining the distribution of pollutants in the various compartments of the global environment. The data needed to use this model are the vapor pressure, infinite diluti on activity coefficient, Henry's law coefficient and/or solubility in water, and the octanol-water partition coefficient. It is only this la tter quantity, which involves liquid-liquid equilibrium, that traditio nally has not been measured by thermodynamicists. We also report infin ite dilution and Henry's law coefficient measurements for some U.S. En vironmental Protection Agency Priority Water Pollutants.