Abstract
The possible liberation of highly toxic and mutagenic phosphine from putrefying media raises the question of its significance as a problem of hygiene. Free phosphine was established by gas chromatography as a universal trace component in gas emitted from the anaerobic biosphere. Sources of phosphine include landfills, compost processing, sewage sludge, animal slurry and river sediments. We detected maximum concentrations in the order of 20 ppb(v/v).
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This work is supported by the Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle Ltd., by the Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology and by the Saxony State Department of Environment and Geology. It constitutes part of a joint work project with the Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle Ltd., Department of Remediation Research.
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Glindemann, D., Stottmeister, U. & Bergmann, A. Free phosphine from the anaerobic biosphere. Environ. Sci. & Pollut. Res. 3, 17–19 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02986806
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02986806