Chlorodifluoroacetic acid fate and toxicity to the macrophytesLemna gibba, Myriophyllum spicatum, andMyriophyllum sibiricumin aquatic microcosms

Abstract

AbstractChlorodifluoroacetic acid (CDFA) is a novel haloacetic acid (HAA) and has been recently documented in aquatic systems. It is a suspected degradation product of the refrigerants 1,1,2‐trichloro‐1,1‐difluoroethane (CFC‐113) and 1‐chloro‐1,1‐difluoroethane (HCFC‐142b). Haloacetic acids can be phytotoxic, putatively acting through inhibition of the citric acid cycle. Replicate (n= 3) 12,000‐L model aquatic ecosystems (microcosms) were dosed once at 0.5, 1, 5, and 20 mg/L of neutralized CDFA. Three microcosms served as controls. Each microcosm was stocked with eight individual apical shoots of bothMyriophyllum spicatumandMyriophyllum sibiricumand sampled at regular intervals over a 42‐d exposure period. The plants were assessed for the somatic endpoints of plant length, root growth, node number, and wet and dry mass and the biochemical endpoints of chlorophyll‐a/band carotenoid content as well as citric acid levels. The duckweedLemna gibbawas also introduced into these systems and monitored over a period of 14 d for wet/dry mass, plant/frond number, chlorophyll content, and growth rate. Concentrations of CDFA remained constant in the water column over the course of the fate investigation (241 d), indicating that this compound undergoes little, if any, degradation in aquatic systems. Results showed few statistically significant differences from controls for all three plant species with exposure to CDFA but no biologically relevant impacts. Overall, CDFA does not appear to pose any risk to these aquatic macrophytes at current environmental concentrations.