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Environmental fate & pathways

Biodegradation in soil

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Description of key information

Weight of evidence: experimental results from independent peer reviewed secondary sources. The half-life of trichloroacetic acid in soil is 119.6 days, and it indicates that biodegradation is not an important environmental fate process in soil. 

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Half-life in soil:
119.6 d

Additional information

Weight of evidence: experimental results: A half-life of trichloroacetic acid in soil reported as 119.6 days indicates that biodegradation is not an important environmental fate process in soil. Liming significantly increased the rate of trichloroacetic acid-degradation and the number of trichloroacetic acid-degrading bacteria, especially in sandy soil, and these mean that liming diminishes the risk of harmful trichloroacetic acid residues. Mineral fertilizer did not have any effect on trichloroacetic acid degradation. Trichloroacetic acid is subject to microbial decomposition. Disappearance of trichloroacetic acid from soil was favored by warm and moist conditions and trichloroacetic acid breakdown in soils was most rapid under conditions conducive to high microbial activity. Trichloroacetic acid breakdown was low in sandy soils.