ABSTRACT
Cyclopentanone may be released to the environment via effluents at sites where it is produced or used as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals, biologicals, insecticides and rubber chemicals. Cyclopentanone is also released to the environment via effluents from the manufacture and use of coal-derived liquid fuels and the disposal of coal liquefaction and gasification waste by-products. Based on the vapor pressure, cyclopentanone is expected to exist almost entirely in the vapor phase in ambient air. Vapor-phase reactions with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere have been shown to be important. Pure culture studies showed various isolated species of bacteria and yeast were unable to utilize cyclopentanone as a single carbon source. Ketones are generally resistant to hydrolysis. The photolysis of cyclopentanone in the environment should not be an important fate process. Based upon the estimated log Kow, the bioconcentration factor for cyclopentanone has been calculated to be -0.05, from a recommended regression-derived equation.
