FY 1998

The solubility of carbon tetrachloride in water and seawater

Bullister, J.L., and D.P. Wisegarver

Deep-Sea Res. I, 45(8), doi: 10.1016/S0967-0637(98)00017-X, 1285–1302 (1998)

High precision measurements of the solubility of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) in pure water and seawater were made over the temperature range of ~0-40°C. For comparison with previously reported results, the solubilities of CFC-11 and CFC-12 were also measured during these experiments. The experimental data were fit to equations in temperature and salinity, in the form used in previous gas solubility studies. The CFC-11 and CFC-12 results were generally in good agreement with earlier work, although some differences were noted. For CCl₄, the standard error of the measurements from the fitted curves was ±2.5%. The concentrations of dissolved CCl₄ measured in near-surface waters on a recent long meridional section in the South Pacific Ocean (where the temperature ranged from -1 to 29°C) are compared to calculated saturation levels based on these solubility data and atmospheric levels of CCl₄ measured along the section.