About 1,2-Dibromo
From The Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane is a colorless liquid with a sharp smell. It can be smelled in air at 2 parts chemical in 1 million parts of air. It evaporates about as fast as water does, which is not very quickly. 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane will dissolve in water to a very limited extent. It can be tasted in water when 0.01 mg chemical is present in 1 liter of water. It is a man-made chemical not found naturally in the environment. We do not know exactly how much of it is currently made or used by industry, but it is probably a small amount. Some industries use 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane to make a chemical that is used to make materials resistant to burning. Large amounts of 1,2-dibromo- 3-chloropropane were used in the past on certain farms to kill pests that were harmful to the crops. Farmers in Hawaii stopped using this chemical in 1985; use in other states stopped in 1979.
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane breaks down slowly in the air. Most of the 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane that is released to the air disappears within several months. Most of this chemical that enters surface water evaporates into the air within several days or a week. It does not stick to the soil at the bottom of rivers, lakes, or ponds. We do not expect fish or other seafood from water containing 1,2-dibromo-3- chloropropane to build up large amounts of this chemical in their bodies. Some of what is spilled on or applied to soil moves through the soil into the groundwater, where it may remain for a long time. Some of the 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane in soil evaporates from the surface of the soil into the air. Small amounts may stay in the soil for several years. This chemical also breaks down slowly to simpler chemicals in water and soil.
Resources
For more information, contact:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO · 888-232-6348 (TTY)
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