Chloroform

67-66-3

Manufacturing fluorocarbon refrigerants and propellants and
plastics; manufacturing anesthetics and pharmaceuticals,
primary source for chlorodifluoromethane; fumigant; sweetener;
fire extinguisher manufacturing; electronic circuitry
manufacturing; analytical chemistry; insecticide; solvent.

Colourless liquid.

Odour index at 20 °C: 70 
(Verschueren 1983).

119.37

Measured half-life for evaporation from 1 ppm aqueous solution,
still air, and an average depth of 6.5 cm:
at 1 - 2 °C: 34.5 min.;
at 25 °C: 18.5 - 25.7 min (Dilling 1977).

97.64 % (air), 2.28 % (water), 0.07 % (sediment).

Photooxidation half-life in air:
26d - 260d,
based upon measured rate data for the vapor phase reaction with 
hydroxyl radicals in air (Howard 1991).

Photooxidation half-life in water:
78.5yr - 3140yr,
based upon measured rate data for hydroxyl radicals in aqueous 
solution (Howard 1991).

First-order hydrolysis half-life:
3500 yr, scientific judgement based upon reported rate constant
at pH 7 and 25 C (Howard 1991).

Aerobic half-life:
4w - 6mo, 
scientific judgement based upon unacclimated aerobic
screening test data (Howard 1991).

Anaerobic half-life:
1w - 4w,
scientific judgement based upon unacclimated anaeobic screening 
test data (Howard 1991).

Biodegradation:
0% by BOD
period: 14d
substance 100 mg/l
sludge 30 mg/l
(MITI 1992)

*-------------------------------------------------------------*
ENVIRONMENT  INIT.CONC  REDOX-      TEMP   DEGRADATION    REF.
             mg/l       COND        °C     %/day   t1/2
*-------------------------------------------------------------*
biofilm      0.028      methanogen  22               8 (1)  a
water        0.003      methanogen  35   93/112     11      b
water        0.029      methanogen  35   99/112     16      b
water        0.117      methanogen  35   71/112     63      b
water        0.013      aerobic     20    0/175   >175      b
water        0.029      aerobic     20    0/175   >175      b
water        0.080      aerobic     20    0/175   >175      b
biofilm      0.03       aerobic     22    0/730     -       c
biofilm      0.04       methanogen  22   95/60      15      d
water        0.06       denitrif.   25    0/56     >56      e
biofilm      0.16       methanogen  23     -        33 (1)  f
water (deion.) 1.0      aerobic     25     -       450      g
soil         0.21       aerobic + natural gas -      0.05   h
digestive sludge 238.4  methanogen         5/90   1216      i
dig. sludge      119.2  sulfate reducing  30/90    175      i
water (adapted)  0.354  aerobic           97/11   <2 - 3    i
water (abiotic)    -    aerobic     25      -     3500 yr   j
water            5 - 10 aerobic     25    47/7       -      k
water (adapted)  5 - 10    -        25   100/7      <1      k
soil column      0.90   aerobic     20     5/2      27      l
soil column      0.25   aerobic     20     8/2      17      l
soil          0.6 - 0.8 aerobic     17    <3/7    >160      m
*-------------------------------------------------------------*
(1) biomass concentration set to 0.100 mg/l.
a) Bouwer & McCarty 1985    h) Anon. 1987b
b) Bouwer et al. 1981       i) Kästner 1986 (1000000000 org./ml)
c) Bouwer & McCarty 1982    j) Schwarzenbach 1985
d) Bouwer & McCarty 1983a   k) Tabak et al. 1981
e) Bouwer & McCarty 1983b   l) Wilson et al. 1981
f) Bouwer & Wright 1987     m) Wilson et al. 1983b
g) Dilling et al. 1975      (Anon. 1987b).

Confirmed to be non-accumulative or low accumulative 
(Anon.1987).

Man: severe toxic effects: 2000 ppm = 9960 mg/m3, 60 min;
symptoms of illness: 500 ppm = 2490 mg/m3;
unsatisfactory: > 50 ppm = 249 mg/m3 
(Verschueren 1983).

NCI carcinogenesis bioassay completed: results positive; mus,
rat (Lewis & Sweet 1984).

Toxicity threshold (cell multiplication inhibition test):
bacteria (Pseudomonas putida): 125 mg/l
(Bringmann & Kühn 1980a).

EC50 = 435 mg/l, 5 min, Photobakterium phosphoreum,
EC50 = 1013 mg/l, 5 min, Photobakterium phosphoreum
(Anon 1986b).

96%, based upon % degraded under aerobic continuous flow 
conditions (Howard 1991).

Salmo gairdneri, 0.020 mg/l, 4 d, change in enzyme activity
(Castren & Oikari 1987).

Toxicity threshold (cell multiplication inhibition test):
algae (Microcystis aeruginosa): 185 mg/l
(Bringmann & Kühn 1976)

green algae (Scenedesmus quadricauda): 1100 mg/l
protozoa (Entosiphon sulcatum): > 6560 mg/l
(Bringmann & Kühn 1980a)

protozoa (Uronema parduczi): > 6560 mg/l
(Bringmann & Kühn 1980b).

LC50 = 40 mg/l, 3d, (Buto fowleri); LC50 = 35,14 mg/l, 4d,
(Embryos); LC50 = 0.76 mg/l, 3d, (Hyla crucifer);
LC50 = 0.27 mg/l 4d, (Hyla crucifer); LC50 = 28,17 mg/l, 4d,
(Rana palustris); LC50 = 20,55 mg/l, 4d, (Rana palustris);
LC50 = 4.56 mg/l, 5d, (Rana pipiens); LC50 = 4.16 mg/l, 4d,
(Rana pipiens) (Anon 1986b).

Reduction of amenities:
Odour Thresholds: 20 mg/l; 0.1 mg/kg 
(Verschueren 1983).