Production, Uses and Discharges

Aliphatic hydrocarbons are produced at numerous plants throughout the USA, Europe, and Canada, and also find widespread application in many 

Chloromethane Dichloromethane Chloroform Carbon tetrachloride Chloroethane 1,2-Dichloroethane 1,1,1 -trichloroethane Chlorodifluoromethane T richlorofluoromethane Dichlorodifluoromethane Vinyl chloride T richloroethylene T etrachloroethylene Bromoform Ethylene dibromide 

Sources U.S. International Trade Commission( 1960-1981) Chemical Marketing Reporter (1980-83). Annual average. 

Halomethanes have numerous industrial applications (Table 3.2). One of the most important of the group, chloroform, is used mainly as a solvent and an intermediate in the production of various products. Chloromethane and tribromomethane are also employed as chemical intermediates, whereas dichloromethrae is widely used as a solvent. Tribromomethane is a common fumigant, and fluoro-derivatives find general application as refrigerants and aerosol propellants. Recent restrictions placed on the use of fluorocarbons have resulted in a decrease in US production of fluoro-derivatives. During the last decade, production of trichlorofluoromethane declined from 1.3 to 0.7 X 10 tons while dichlorofluoromethane fell from 2.0 to 1.5 X 10 tons (Table 3.1). Production of other halomethanes has shown a consistent albeit small increase in recent years (Table 3.1). Total dichloromethane production now exceeds 2.5 X 10 tons compared with 1.5 and 1.8X itf tons for chloromethane and chloroform, respectively. It is estimated that bromo-methane production will be only about 2.0 X 10 tons in 1982. 

Canadian production of aliphatic hydrocarbons cannot be easily documented owing to incomplete records. Furthermore, there does not appear to 

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Sediment concentration data of major groups of organic contaminants -aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated pesticides, phenols, polychlorinated biphenyls and -dibenzodioxins - are summarized in Table 2-5 (the book by Moore Ramamoorthy contains information on physicochemical properties, production, uses and discharges, and on toxicity). 

Production, Uses, and Discharges Table 10.1. A list of PCDD isomers, ... 

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