We decided to compare the results of the analysis to a prior government notice about quality requirements for water areas, in order to obtain a feeling for whether the values would constitute a problem in relation to the requirements. The government notice has been deleted and no replacement has been drawn up, which is why it is often still used, for lack of a better test. With this analysis method, 2 litres of liquid are used for each kilogram of golf balls. That means that the concentration in the liquid may be expected to be much larger than in for a example a lake, where the quantity of water is much larger compared to the golf balls in the experiment. It may also therefore be expected that equivalent concentrations to those found in this experiment will not be found in nature. As can be seen, all the values in this analysis lie below the requirements in the notices with a good margin of safety. Even though the requirements are met, there is still the question of inappropriate materials being emitted into the natural water environment. Below, there is a short summary of the potential environmental risk with the materials found. Hydrocarbons Hydrocarbons in the chemical world are an organic material consisting of carbon and hydrogen. In an analysis of a smashed golf ball referred to earlier, hydrocarbons were found, and in the above centrifuge test a very limited amount was also seen. Hydrocarbons are not normally considered to be a big environmental problem for water environments. The reason is that the omission of hydrocarbons under water occurs in an environment containing bacteria, where the material mentioned will be broken down by those bacteria. BTEX BTEX is an acronym for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. BTEX occurs in benzene and other oil products. The problem with these materials is that they are very soluble, which gives a significant risk of groundwater pollution. They are therefore chemicals one does not wish to find in an analysis, but the level in this analysis is fortunately very low and well below the quality requirements for water environment. Breakdown of BTEXs occurs most easily under oxygen rich conditions. A healthy, oxygen-rich water hazard will therefore give the best conditions for breakdown to occur, which is also the case for hydrocarbons. Heavy metals (zinc) Today, synthetic rubber is used in solid core golf balls. Over the past 30 years, materials used in the rubber have included zinc diacrylate. That is why such large amounts of zinc were found in the analysis of the smashed golf ball. The washing out of heavy metals has an effect on the bottom vegetation in lakes and waterholes on golf courses. Experience with lead and other heavy metals from earlier experiments in small lakes adversely affected by run-off water from roads and other paved areas shows that heavy metals sink quickly to the bottom because of their density, and bind to the sediment in the lake. The heavy metals given off by golf balls will therefore also sink to the bottom. A certain amount will therefore be absorbed by plants, subsequently entering into the food chain, something which is not appropriate. Zinc is problematic because it is mobile. That means that it is soluble in water and can be absorbed by both flora and fauna. All living organisms need zinc in appropriate amounts, but if the concentration is too high it can lead to poisoning. Trawling the lake can be more damaging Unless a lake is completely carpeted with golf balls, trawling for balls will possibly be more damaging for the lake's bottom vegetation than leaving the balls where they are. That is because mechanical trawling destroys the plants. In addition, the damaging chemicals which have sunk to the bottom are recirculated and can thus enter into the food chain and have an adverse effect on it.
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