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Environmental fate & pathways

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In the atmosphere, benzyl alcohol probably exists almost entirely in the vapour phase. Apparently, the gas-phase reaction with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals is the primary atmospheric degradation pathway (half-life of ca. 2 days). Wet deposition may also occur. The reactions both with ozone and with direct photochemical degradation are not expected to be important fate processes (US EPA Document 1989).

Photolysis, hydrolysis, volatilization to the atmosphere and chemical oxidation are all expected to be slow processes in water.