This technical Support Document provides the rationale for the development of test standards to develop data on density/relative density, melting temperature, vapor pressure, octanol/water partition coefficient, and soil thin layer chromatography of chemical substances. EPA will use the data on these physical/chemical characteristics to evaluate the manner and extent of environmental transport, fate and places of deposit as an aid in assessing health and environmental effects of chemicals under TSCA. For density/relative testing, an analysis is given of available methods of determining this property of particular classes of materials with different physical characteristics. For melting temperature testing, available methods are analyzed in terms of materials with different physical characteristics. For vapor pressure, two procedures are given, the isoteniscope procedure for pressures of 0.1 to 100 kPa and a gas saturation (transpiration) procedure for pressures of .00001 to the 1,000 Pa. The Knudsen effusion procedures are also given. How to determine the numerical values of the octanol/water partition coefficient are given. Soil thin layer chromatography, an experimental method for determining the relative mobility of organic chemicals in soils, is discussed, including scientific aspects of soil leaching, economic aspects of the method, and specific history and the rationale for selection of experimental conditions for this method.

Authors: George T. Armstrong and others. "Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances." "October 1980." Includes bibliographical references. "EPA/560-11-80-027."