ABSTRACT
Dimethyl ether may be released to the environment as a result of its use as a refrigerant, solvent and extraction agent, propellant for sprays, and a catalyst and stabilizer for polymerization. If dimethyl ether is released to soil, it will volatilize when near the surface. It will, however, exhibit very high mobility in soil and may leach to ground water. Using estimated physical-chemical properties and/or analogies to other structurally related aliphatic ethers, if dimethyl ether is released to water, it will not significantly adsorb to sediment or suspended particulate matter, bioconcentrate in aquatic organisms, directly photolyze, or react with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals in the water. It will not hydrolyze in water or soil. Dimethyl ether in surface water will be subject to rapid volatilization with estimated half-lives for volatilization of 2.6 hr from a river one meter deep flowing 1 m/sec with a wind velocity of 3 m/sec and 30 hr from a model pond.
