Trichloroacetic acid in the vegetation of polluted and remote areas of both hemispheresFPart I. Its formation, uptake and geographical distribution

I WEISSFLOG; A PFENNIGSDORFF; G MARTÍNEZ PASTUR; E PULIAFITO; D FIGUEROA; N ELANSKY; V NIKONOV; E PUTZ; G KRÜGER; K KELLNER

ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT

Elsevier

Año: 2001 p. 4511 - 4521

1352-2310

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA; CCl3COOH) is a phytotoxic chemical. Although TCA salts and derivatives were oncedeployed as herbicides against perennial grasses and weeds, their use has since been banned because of theirindiscriminate herbicidal effects on woody plant species. However, TCA can also be formed in the atmosphere. Forinstance, high-volatile C2-chlorohydrocarbons tetrachloroethene (TECE, C2Cl4) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE,CCl3CH3) can react to TCA and other substances under oxidative conditions here. Owing to further industrialisationof Southeast Asia, South Africa and South America, a rise can be expected in the use of TECE as solvents in the metaland textile industries of these regions in the southern hemisphere (SH). The increasing emissions of thissubstanceFtogether with the rise in the atmospheric oxidation potential caused by urban activities, slash and burnagriculture and forest fires in the SHFwill result in the increased input/formation of TCA in the vegetation located onthe lee side of these emission sources. By means of biomonitoring studies, inputs/formation of TCA related to theclimatic conditions were detected at various locations in South America, Africa, and Europe. r 2001 Elsevier ScienceLtd. All rights reserved.