From 1987 to 1993, according to the Toxics Release Inventory EDB releases to land totalled 2,670 lbs., and water releases totalled 2,554 lbs. These releases were primarily from facilities classified as petroleum refineries. The largest of these releases occurred in California and Missouri. Environmental Fate When spilled on land or applied to land during soil fumigation, ethylene dibromide will exhibit low to moderate adsorption and has been found in groundwater. Measured KOC values range from 14 to 160.
Persistence can vary greatly from soil to soil.
In one laboratory screening study using 100 soils, half-lives ranging from 1.5 to 18 weeks were determined. Low Koc values and detection in various ground waters indicate that ethylene bromide will leach in soil. The primary removal process for ethylene bromide in surface water is volatilization. Under normal conditions, the volatilization half-life from a typical river and lake are about one day and 5 days, respectively. Ethylene bromide does not directly photolyze when exposed to uv light between 300 and 400 nm.