CAS number
- 87-61-6
Molecular formula
- C6H3Cl3
Formula weight
- 181.5 g/mol
Family
- Chlorobenzenes
Compound properties list|
Melting/boiling point | 54 °C | Solid |
Relative density | 1.69 g/cm3 | Sinks in water |
Vapour pressure | 2 mm Hg | Moderately volatile |
Vapour density | 0 | N/A |
Solubility in water | 15 mg/L | Low solubility |
Henry's law constant | 2 x 10-3atm·m3/mol | Rapid volatilization when dissolved |
log Koc (Depending on soil or sediment characteristics) | 3.2 - 4.0* | Strong adsorption to organic matter |
At 20 0C, 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene is a moderately volatile solid. Characterized by low
solubility, it will volatilize rapidly when it is dissolved and adsorbs strongly to organic matter.
When present in soil, this compound will volatilize and solubilize slowly. Once dissolved, it will
either enter into the groundwater table or drain towards a waterway, where it will be diluted before
volatilizing. Fragments of 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene can also be carried into a waterway and deposited
at the bottom, where they will dissolve slowly. Once the source has been removed, the adsorbed
1,2-dichlorobenzene will take a long time to disappear, liberating contamination in either the
gaseous or dissolved state. The resulting plumes (gaseous or dissolved) will be relatively small in size.
1,2,3-trichlorobenzene should be handled with care, as it is toxic.
Although there are currently no producers of trichlorobenzenes in Canada, an estimated 40
to 50 tonnes per year were imported during the mid-1990s. Of this amount, about 30 tonnes were used
as solvents in textile manufacturing, and about 15 tonnes were used as intermediates in the
production of other chemicals.
In the past, trichlorobenzenes were used in combination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in
dielectric fluids for transformers and capacitors until 1980 when regulations prohibited new uses of
PCB-containing dielectric fluids. Approximately 2,600,000 tonnes of trichlorobenzenes are present
in transformer dielectric fluids either in use or stored before disposal. In the United States,
trichlorobenzenes are also used as degreasing agents and lubricants.
1,2,3-trichlorobenzene is used industrially as a dye carrier, an intermediate in chemical
production (especially herbicides), a degreasing agent, and a lubricant. Trichlorobenzene isomers
have been identified in pulp and paper mill effluents. Effluents from iron and steel manufacturing
contribute to the environmental loading of trichlorobenzenes, while petroleum refinery effluents
have been reported to contain trichlorobenzene isomers. The more highly chlorinated benzenes,
particularly hexachlorobenzene, are subject to reductive dechlorination, which may contribute to the
accumulation of the lower chlorinated homologues (example, dichlorobenzenes and trichlorobenzenes) in
buried sediments.
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). 1999. Canadian water quality
guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: Chlorinated benzenes 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene. In:
Canadian environmental quality guidelines, 1999, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment,
Winnipeg. Canada. (Viewed December 2013)
Government of Canada. 1993. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Priority Substances
List Assessment Report: Trichlorobenzenes. Environment Canada and Health Canada Ottawa. (Viewed December 2013)
Environment Canada. 2003. Follow-up report on five PSL1 substances for which there was
insufficient information to conclude whether the substances constitute a danger to the
environment. Government of Canada. (Viewed December 2013)
Montgomery, John H. 2007. Groundwater Chemicals, Desk Reference, Fourth Edition, CRC
Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Florida, U.S.A.