EFFECT OF DICHLOROACETIC ACID (DCA) ON ENVIRONMENTAL LIVING ORGANISM- A TOXICOLOGICAL STUDY

Abhishek Chauhan^1*, Renu Sen², Priyanka Joshi¹

ABSTRACT

Dichloroacetic acid is known as Dichloroacetate, Dichloroethanoic acid. DCA was found to be more persistent in an aquatic environment. At a concentration of 10mg/L, only 14% and 8 % degradation were reported for river water and seawater. Mostly treatment plants and distribution systems had Dichloroacetic acid concentration blow 50µg/L. Generally mean Dichloroacetic acid concentrations in treatment plants and distribution systems were higher for the chlorine-chlorine disinfection process. Air samples taken in rural Bhopal and the Sehore contained Dichloroacetic acid concentrations of 0.0007µg/m3. Dichloroacetic acid may be found in meat and other food products. This would result from the use of chlorine in food production and processing including the disinfection of chicken, processing of sea foods, poultry and red meats, Dichloroacetic acid concentration ranged from <0.9 to 3.5µg/kg in vegetables, from <0.6 to 11.1µg/kg in grains and from 0.8 to 19.8µg/kg in flours/breads. In this way water, air and food have been used by environmental living organism with different sources. The results, it was demonstrated that the levels of Dichloroacetic acid disinfection by-products produced physiological toxicity on environmental living organism such as plants, animals and humans.

Keywords: Dichloroacetic acid, Disinfection byproduct, living organism, Environment.