The dissipation of 1,3-dichloropropene in ditch bottom sediment and associated aerobic ditch water

The aerobic aquatic metabolism of [14C]1,3‐dichloropropene has been studied in two ditch waters and their associated sediments using a modification of the requirements of Section G.2. of the Dutch Registration Guidelines. Preliminary experiments showed that (a) the evaporation of 1,3‐dichloropropene from water had a half‐life of less than 5 h, and (b) in a soil/water slurry, 1,3‐dichloropropene was rapidly converted to 3‐chloropropenoic acid. In the definitive experiment conducted in two sediments, the overall recovery of radioactivity was good (84·5%) given the volatile nature of the chemical. In both sediment types, 1,3‐dichloropropene evaporated rapidly from water. In the Letcombe samples (organic silty clay loam) more radioactivity was associated with the sediment (40%) than ditch water (5%) than in Marcham samples (medium clay, 12% in sediment and 10% in water) and this may reflect the organic matter content of the two sediments (10·5% and 2·9% respectively). The 1,3‐dichloropropene in the ditch water was rapidly converted to 3‐chloropropenoic acid and other minor polar products. The material in the soil was not investigated further.