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Title: Occurrence of Highly-Substituted Ethoxy-Carboxylates in Runoff Waters Near an Aircraft Deicing Facility

Author
item Rice, Clifford
item LOZANO, NURIA - UNIV MD, COLLEGE PARK
item LOYO-ROSALES, JORGE - UNIV CA, BERKLEY
item CORSI, STEVEN - USGS, MIDDLETON, WI

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2007
Publication Date: 11/15/2007
Citation: Rice, C., Lozano, N., Loyo-Rosales, J., Corsi, S. 2007. Occurrence of Highly-Substituted Ethoxy-Carboxylates in Runoff Waters Near an Aircraft Deicing Facility. Meeting Abstract. p. 118.

Interpretive Summary: .

Technical Abstract: Reports documenting the occurrence of the metabolites of alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are common. However, few data show the occurrence of the oxidative metabolite of the APEs, the carboxylates, and especially those with substitution greater than the 5 ethoxymer. An important reason for this has been the lack of appropriate standards. However, a Japanese chemical company is now offering a standard carboxylate mix that contains from 1 to 10 ethoxmers. We are now examining polar extracts for the carboxylates in archived runoff samples from General Mitchell International Airport that have been previously studied for alkylphenol ethoxylate. Airport runoff containing APEs is unique because the surfactants are released directly to receiving waters without treatment unlike effluent from wastewater treatment facilities, a primary source of APEs to the environment. This typically results in a larger distribution of ethoxomers in airport runoff than in wastewater treatment effluent. Initial data from airport runoff suggests that samples found to have higher levels of 6 to 13-substituted NP ethoxylates can also contain higher levels of highly-substituted ethoxy carboxylates up to the 9 ethoxymer. By characterizing these more highly-substituted carboxylates in these samples, it will be possible to better account for the importance of biotransformation processes in the removal of the NP-ethoxylate mixtures.