CAS number
- 120-83-2
Molecular formula
- C6H4Cl2O
Formula weight
- 163 g/mol
Family
- Phenolic compounds
Compound properties list|
| Melting/boiling point | 43 °C | Solid |
| Relative density | 1.4 g/cm3 | Sinks in water |
| Vapour pressure | 0.09 mm Hg | Low volatility |
| Vapour density | 0 | N/A |
| Solubility in water | 6,000 mg/L | Moderately soluble |
| Henry's law constant | 3 x 10-6atm·m3/mol | Slow volatilization when dissolved |
| log Koc (Depending on soil or sediment characteristics) | 2.1 - 3.6* | Moderate adsorption to organic matter |
At 20 0C, 2,4-dichlorophenol is a solid with low volatility and moderate solubility. Once
it is dissolved, it volatilizes slowly and adsorbs moderately to organic matter. When present in the
soil, it dissolves moderately quickly. In the dissolved phase, 2,4-dichlorophenol can reach the
groundwater table or go into a waterway, where it will be diluted before slowly volatilizing.
Fragments of 2,4-dichlorophenol can also be carried into waterways where they will be deposited at
the bottom and dissolve. Once the source has been removed, the adsorbed phase will take a while to
disappear, slowly liberating contamination in either the gaseous or dissolved state. The resulting
dissolved plume can be relatively large while the gaseous plume would be generally small in size.
2,4-dichlorophenol should be handled with care, as it is toxic and corrosive.
The largest use of 2,4-dichlorophenol is as an intermediate, especially in the production
of the herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid
(2,4,5-T). 2,4-dichlorophenol is also used as a germicide, antiseptic and seed disinfectant.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1999. Toxicological profile
for Chlorophenols. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Georgia,
U.S.A. (Viewed December 2013)
Montgomery, John H. 2007. Groundwater Chemicals, Desk Reference, Fourth Edition, CRC
Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Florida, U.S.A.
