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)ectrum Laboratories : Chemical Fact Sheet-r s# 100414 httr-Iiwww.speclab.com/compound/c100414.htm Odor Threshold 140 ppm Purity not specified 2-2.6 mg/cu m;detection:0.4 mg/cu m Purity not specified Odor Concentration Low: 8.7 mg/cu in,Odor High: 870.0 mg/cu in CHARACTERIZED AS MOST SEVERE IRRITANT OF THE BENZENE SERIES.A concn of Sensitivity Data 200 ppm causes eye irritation.A concn of 100 ppm for 8 hr caused irritative effects in a human. EXPOSURE TO CONCN OF 5000 PPM 24.6 MG/L CAUSES INTOLERABLE IRRITATION OF EYES, MUCOUS MEMBRANES&NOSE. Ethylbenzene will enter the atmosphere primarily from fugitive emissions and exhaust connected with its use in gasoline.More localized sources will be emissions,waste water and spills from its "r production and industrial use. If ethylbenzene is released to the atmosphere, it exist predominantly in the vapor phase based on its vapor pressure where it will photochemically degrade by reaction with hydroxyl radicals(half-life 0.5 to 2 days)and partially return to earth in rain. It will not be Environmental subject to direct photolysis.Releases into water will decrease in concn by evaporation and Impact biodegradation. The time for this decrease and the primary loss processes will depend on the season, and the turbulence and microbial populations in the particular body of water. Representative half-lives are several days to 2 weeks. Some ethylbenzene may be adsorbed by sediment but significant bioconcentration in fish is not expected to occur based upon its octanol/water partition coefficient.Ethylbenzene is only adsorbed moderately by soil.It will not significantly hydrolyze in water or soil.The primary source of exposure is from the air especially '# in areas high traffic. However,exposure from drinking water is not uncommon. TERRESTRIAL FATE;When released onto soil,part of the ethylbenzene will evaporate into the atmosphere.It has a moderate adsorption in soil. While there are no direct data concerning its biodegradability in soil, it is likely that it may biodegrade slowly after acclimation of ambient microorganisms. It will not hyrolyze in soil or groundwater.AQUATIC FATE: When released into water,ethylbenzene will evaporate fairly rapidly into the atmosphere with a half-life ranging from hrs to a few wks.Biodegradation will also be rapid (half-life 2 days)after a population of r.. microorganisms capable of degrading toluene becomes established which will depend on the Environmental particular body of water and the temperature. In one study, this acclimation took 2 days and 2 wks Fate in summer and spring,respectively. Some ethylbenzene will be adsorbed by the sediment but significant bioconcentration in fish is not expected to occur based upon its octanol/water partition coefficient.There is evidence that ethylbenzene slowly biodegrades in groundwater. It will not significantly photolyze or hydrolyze. ATMOSPHERIC FATE: If ethylbenzene is released to the atmosphere, it will exist predominantly in the vapor phase based on its vapor pressure .It will be .. removed from the atmosphere principally by reaction with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals(half-life,0.5 hr to days). Additional quantities will be removed by rain.It will not be expected to directly photolyze. ..r r r r �r of 4 1/5/99 3:25 PM