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Environmental fate & pathways

Phototransformation in air

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Description of key information

- Estimation of the photochemical and oxidative decomposition: DT50 3.969 days = 95.26 hours (based on a 24-hour day; Atkinson method using the programme AOPWIN)
- Measurement of peracetic acid degradation at ambient temperature: DT50 22 min. (Formation of acetic acid)

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Half-life in air:
22 min
Degradation rate constant with OH radicals:
4.022 cm³ molecule-1 s-1

Additional information

According to an estimation of the atmospheric residence time of peracetic acid using the Atkinson method (programme used: AOPWIN; Görg & Glöckner 2007), peracetic acid degrades in the atmosphere with a DT50 of 3.969 days (based on a 24-hour day), corresponding to 95.26 hours. As the molecule does not contain olefin carbon-carbon double or acetylic triple bonds, peracetic acid is not expected to react with ozone.

According to Ancker and Zetterberg (1997), peracetic acid has a DT50 of 22 minutes in the vapour phase (determined in a closed cell under irradiation with infrared light). This value can be taken as the atmospheric half-life for peracetic acid, assuming first-order kinetics.

On a weight of evidence basis, the results on reactivity and the short half-life of 22 minutes suggest, that peracetic acid is not expected to persist in the atmosphere.