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ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT<br />

2.3.6.2 Photolysis in water<br />

In the vast majority of surface water bodies dissolved organic matter is responsible <strong>for</strong> intensive<br />

light attenuation. Thus photolysis processes are normally restricted to the upper zones of water<br />

bodies. Indirect processes like photo-sensitisation or reaction with oxygen transients ( 1 O2, OHradicals,<br />

ROO-radicals) may significantly contribute to the overall breakdown rate.<br />

Photochemical degradation processes in water may only become an important fate process <strong>for</strong><br />

substances, which are persistent to other degradation processes (e.g. biodegradation <strong>and</strong><br />

hydrolysis). The experimental determination of the quantum yield (OECD, 1992c) <strong>and</strong> the UVabsorption<br />

spectrum of the substance are prerequisites <strong>for</strong> estimating the rate of<br />

photodegradation in surface water. Due to high seasonal variation in light flux, photochemical<br />

degradation should only be based on average EU conditions. Methods to derive average<br />

degradation rates which can be used in the model calculation of PECregional are described in<br />

Zepp <strong>and</strong> Cline (1977) <strong>and</strong> Frank <strong>and</strong> Klöppfer (1989).<br />

The following aspects have to be considered when estimating the photochemical trans<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

in natural water bodies:<br />

• the intensity of the incident light depends on seasonal <strong>and</strong> geographic conditions <strong>and</strong> varies<br />

within wide ranges. For long-term considerations average values can be used while <strong>for</strong><br />

short-term exposure an unfavourable solar irradiance (winter season) should be chosen;<br />

• in most natural water bodies, the rate of photoreaction is affected by dissolved <strong>and</strong><br />

suspended matter. Since the concentration of the substance under consideration is normally<br />

low compared to the concentration of e.g. dissolved humic acids, the natural constituents<br />

absorb by far the larger portion of the sunlight penetrating the water bodies.<br />

Using the st<strong>and</strong>ard parameters of the regional model (i.e. a water depth of 3 m <strong>and</strong> a<br />

concentration of suspended matter of 15 mg/l), the reduction in light intensity is higher than 98%<br />

through the water column.<br />

Indirect (sensitised) photochemical reactions should only be included in the overall breakdown<br />

rate of water bodies if there is clear evidence that this pathway is not of minor importance<br />

compared to other processes <strong>and</strong> its effectiveness can be quantified. For facilitating the complex<br />

calculation of phototrans<strong>for</strong>mation processes in natural waters computer programmes have been<br />

developed (e.g. ABIWAS by Frank <strong>and</strong> Klöppfer, 1989; GC-SOLAR by Zepp <strong>and</strong> Cline, 1977).<br />

In practice it will not be possible to easily demonstrate that photodegradation in water is<br />

significant in the environment.<br />

A value <strong>for</strong> the half-life <strong>for</strong> photolysis in water (if known) can be converted to a pseudo firstorder<br />

rate constant:<br />

Explanation of symbols<br />

50<br />

ln 2<br />

kphoto water =<br />

DT50 photowater<br />

DT50photowater half-lifetime <strong>for</strong> photolysis in surface water [d] data set<br />

kphotowater first order rate constant <strong>for</strong> photolysis in surface water [d -1 ]<br />

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