A. Svenson et Pa. Hynning, INCREASED AQUATIC TOXICITY FOLLOWING PHOTOLYTIC CONVERSION OF AN ORGANOCHLORINE POLLUTANT, Chemosphere, 34(8), 1997, pp. 1685-1692
In studies of the photolytic degradation of chlorophenolic substances
in aqueous media, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol was found to be converted into
products with increased toxic effects on the Microtox(R) luminescence
bioassay system. The chlorophenol was mainly photohydrolysed at the 2
- or 6- positions and 3,5-dichlorocatechol was formed. The increased t
oxic effects were confined to this photolytic product. Although there
were indications that the catechol was further modified, it accumulate
d in the aquatic medium at the test conditions, and most probably will
appear in the aquatic environment upon illumination of the polluted p
arent compound. The 2,4,6-trichlorophenol/3,5-dichlorocatechol system
here described therefore increases the environmental impact of an abio
tic transformation of a polluted organic compound. (C) 1997 Elsevier S
cience Ltd.