ABSTRACT
Ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether may be released to the environment via effluents at sites where it is produced or used as a solvent. Solvent-based building materials such as silicone caulk may release ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether to air as they dry. Leachate from municipal landfills and hazardous waste sites can also release ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether to ground waters. Ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether is not expected to undergo hydrolysis or direct photolysis in the environment. The complete miscibility of ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether in water suggests that volatilization, adsorption and bioconcentration are not important fate processes. This is supported by the estimated Henry's Law constant, which indicates that volatilization of ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether from environmental waters and moist soil should be extremely slow. A low estimated log BCF suggests ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether should not bioconcentrate among aquatic organisms.
