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Environmental fate & pathways

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The log Kow of the xylene isomers and ethylbenzene ranges from 3.12 to 3.2 which suggests that they have the potential to sorb to soil and sediment. A reliable adsorption/desorption study with xylene or one of the other streams in this category as the test substance was not identified. However, a study using o-xylene, conducted to a method equivalent to OECD 121 using a HPLC method (Hodson et al 1988), gave an estimated log Koc of 2.73 based on the measured K value. Based on similar physico-chemical properties, this value is considered appropriate for read across to all streams in this category.

The calculated Henrys Law constant is 623 Pa m³/mol. The Henry's Law constants of the xylene isomers and ethylbenzene have been calculated by a QSAR model and are supported by results from a peer-reviewed handbook. The calculated value indicate that volatilisation from water is expected to occur at a rapid rate.