Concern about pollution of the oceans has stimulated measurements of the solubility of organic compounds in seawater. This table gives the solubility of several hydrocarbons in seawater. The data are derived from a review in the IUPAC Solubility Data Series (Ref. 1).
Solubility is expressed in this table as parts per million by mass, i.e.,
S/ppm(mass) = 106 × w2 = 106 × m2/(m1 + m2)
where m1 and m2 are the masses of solvent (seawater) and solute, respectively, under saturation conditions, and w2 is the mass fraction. Because the solubilities in this table are very low, the value of S is effectively the mass of hydrocarbon in grams per 1000 kg of seawater. Column definitions for the table are as follows.
Column heading | Definition |
Name | Hydrocarbon name |
Mol. form. | Molecular formula of hydrocarbon |
Salinity | Salinity is a standardized measure of the concentration of dissolved salts, as explained in the table “Properties of Seawater” in Section 14; salinity values in the open oceans at mid-latitude typically fall between 34 and 36 |
t | Temperature of measurement, in °C |
S | Solubility, as parts per million by mass |
Ref. 1 gives details of the method of measurement and an indication of the reliability of the values.
Name | Synonym | Mol. form. | CAS Reg. No. | Mol. Wt. | Salinity | t/ºC | S/ppm(mass) |
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Acenaphthene | 1,2-Dihydroacenaphthylene | C12H10 | 83-32-9 | 154.207 | 35 | 15 | 0.21 |
Acenaphthene | 1,2-Dihydroacenaphthylene | C12H10 | 83-32-9 | 154.207 | 35 | 25 | 1.8 |
Anthracene | C14H10 | 120-12-7 | 178.229 | 35 | 25 | 0.031 | |
Benz[a]anthracene | 1,2-Benzanthracene | C18H12 | 56-55-3 | 228.288 | 35 | 25 | 0.0056 |
Benzene | [6]Annulene | C6H6 | 71-43-2 | 78.112 | 34.4 | 0 | 1320 |
Benzene | [6]Annulene | C6H6 | 71-43-2 | 78.112 | 35 | 25 | 1360 |
Benzo[ghi]perylene | 1,12-Benzperylene | C22H12 | 191-24-2 | 276.330 | 6 | 25 | 0.00021 |
Benzo[a]pyrene | 2,3-Benzopyrene | C20H12 | 50-32-8 | 252.309 | 6 | 25 | 0.00013 |
Benzo[e]pyrene | 1,2-Benzpyrene | C20H12 | 192-97-2 | 252.309 | 30 | 25 | 0.0033 |
Benzo[b]triphenylene | C22H14 | 215-58-7 | 278.346 | 6 | 25 | 0.027 | |
Biphenyl | Diphenyl | C12H10 | 92-52-4 | 154.207 | 35 | 25 | 4.76 |
Butylbenzene | 1-Phenylbutane | C10H14 | 104-51-8 | 134.218 | 34.5 | 25 | 7.1 |
sec-Butylbenzene, (±)- | 2-Phenylbutane | C10H14 | 36383-15-0 | 134.218 | 34.5 | 25 | 12 |
tert-Butylbenzene | (1,1-Dimethylethyl)benzene | C10H14 | 98-06-6 | 134.218 | 34.5 | 25 | 21 |
Chrysene | Benzo[a]phenanthrene | C18H12 | 218-01-9 | 228.288 | 35 | 25 | 0.0011 |
Dibenz[a,h]anthracene | 1,2:5,6-Dibenzanthracene | C22H14 | 53-70-3 | 278.346 | 6 | 25 | 0.021 |
Dibenz[a,j]anthracene | C22H14 | 224-41-9 | 278.346 | 6 | 25 | 0.010 | |
Dodecane | C12H26 | 112-40-3 | 170.334 | 35 | 25 | 0.0029 | |
Eicosane | Icosane | C20H42 | 112-95-8 | 282.547 | 35 | 25 | 0.0008 |