4-methoxybenzyl alcohol

Endpoint summary

Description of key information

Hydrolysis

In accordance with column 2 of Annex VIII of the REACH regulation, testing for this endpoint is scientifically not necessary and does not need to be conducted since the test chemical is readily biodegradable.

Biodegradation in water

Biodegradation study was conducted for 14 days for evaluating the percentage biodegradability of test chemical (GENNADI M. ZAITSEV et. al., 1995). Bacteria (strain GM-14) was used as a test inoculum isolated from soil from a rice field in Krasnodar Territory, Russia utilizing chlorobenzene as the sole source of carbon and energy. Flasks of 500 ml was used as a test vessel for the study. KSN medium was used as a test medium for the study. The composition of the chloride-free minimal salts KSN medium used for the enrichment and cultivation was as follows (grams per liter of distilled water): K2HPO4.3H2O, 4.0; NaH2PO4.2H2O, 1.0; (NH4)2SO4, 0.5; MgSO4.7H2O, 0.15; Ca(NO3)2.4H2O, 0.01 (pH 7.0 to 7.3). The aromatic substrates were added to the autoclaved (1218C) KSN medium. Utilization of test chemical by strain GM-14 was examined on a gyratory shaker at 22°C in 500-ml flasks with 180 ml of KSN medium and with 20 ml of inoculum grown on CB plus 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) to an initialA540 of 0.015. Each compound (30 mg/liter) was added as the sole carbon source, and the addition was repeated after 7 days.Growth rates were recorded from the exponential phase of growth.The test chemical was utilized as a sole source of carbon by the test bacteria strain GM-14. Thus, based on this, test chemical is considered to bebiodegradable in water. 

Biodegradation in water and sediment

Estimation Programs Interface (2018) prediction model was run to predict the half-life in water and sediment for the test chemical. If released in to the environment, 32.9% of the chemical will partition into water according to the Mackay fugacity model level III and the half-life period of test chemical in water is estimated to be 15 days (360 hrs). The half-life (15 days estimated by EPI suite) indicates that the chemical is not persistent in water and the exposure risk to aquatic animals is moderate to low whereas the half-life period of test chemical in sediment is estimated to be 135 days (3240 hrs). However, as the percentage release of test chemical into the sediment is less than 1% (i.e, reported as 0.0792%), indicates that test chemical is not persistent in sediment.

 

Biodegradation in soil

The half-life period of test chemical in soil was estimated using Level III Fugacity Model by EPI Suite version 4.1 estimation database (2018). If released into the environment, 66.6% of the chemical will partition into soil according to the Mackay fugacity model level III. The half-life period of test chemical in soil is estimated to be 30 days (720 hrs). Based on this half-life value of test chemical, it is concluded that the chemical is not persistent in the soil environment and the exposure risk to soil dwelling animals is moderate to low.

Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment

In accordance with column 2 of Annex IX of the REACH regulation,testing for this endpoint is scientifically not necessary and does not need to be conducted since the test chemical has a low potential for bioaccumulation based on logKow ≤ 3.

Adsorption / desorption

In accordance with column 2 of Annex VIII of the REACH regulation,testing for this endpoint is scientifically not necessary and does not need to be conducted since the test chemical has a low octanol water partition coefficient and the adsorption potential of this substance is related to this parameter.

Additional information

Hydrolysis

In accordance with column 2 of Annex VIII of the REACH regulation, testing for this endpoint is scientifically not necessary and does not need to be conducted since the test chemical is readily biodegradable.

Biodegradation in water

Experimental study and predicted data for the test chemical and supporting study for its structurally similar read across chemical were reviewed for the biodegradation end point which are summarized as below:

 

In an experimental key study from peer reviewed journal (GENNADI M. ZAITSEV et. al., 1995), biodegradation experiment was conducted for 14 days for evaluating the percentage biodegradability of test chemical. Bacteria (strain GM-14) was used as a test inoculum isolated from soil from a rice field in Krasnodar Territory, Russia utilizing chlorobenzene as the sole source of carbon and energy. Flasks of 500 ml was used as a test vessel for the study. KSN medium was used as a test medium for the study. The composition of the chloride-free minimal salts KSN medium used for the enrichment and cultivation was as follows (grams per liter of distilled water): K2HPO4.3H2O, 4.0; NaH2PO4.2H2O, 1.0; (NH4)2SO4, 0.5; MgSO4.7H2O, 0.15; Ca(NO3)2.4H2O, 0.01 (pH 7.0 to 7.3). The aromatic substrates were added to the autoclaved (1218C) KSN medium. Utilization of test chemical by strain GM-14 was examined on a gyratory shaker at 22°C in 500-ml flasks with 180 ml of KSN medium and with 20 ml of inoculum grown on CB plus 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) to an initial A540 of 0.015. Each compound (30 mg/liter) was added as the sole carbon source, and the addition was repeated after 7 days. Growth rates were recorded from the exponential phase of growth. The test chemical was utilized as a sole source of carbon by the test bacteria strain GM-14. Thus, based on this, test chemical is considered to be biodegradable in water. 

 

In a prediction done using the Estimation Programs Interface Suite (2018), the biodegradation potential of the test chemical in the presence of mixed populations of environmental microorganisms was estimated. The biodegradability of the substance was calculated using seven different models such as Linear Model, Non-Linear Model, Ultimate Biodegradation Timeframe, Primary Biodegradation Timeframe, MITI Linear Model, MITI Non-Linear Model and Anaerobic Model (called as Biowin 1-7, respectively) of the BIOWIN v4.10 software. The results indicate that test chemical is expected to be readily biodegradable.

 

For the test chemical, 28-days Closed Bottle test following the OECD guideline 301 D to determine the ready biodegradability of the test chemical (Experimental study report, 2017). The study was performed at a temperature of 20°C. The test system included control, test item and reference item. Domestic waste water, surface soil and soil samples from polluted sites receiving predominantly domestic waste was collected and were mixed to get diluted suspension. The inoculum was kept aerobic until being used for experiment by supplying organic and inorganic sources required by micro flora to sustain at controlled laboratory conditions. This gave the bacterial count as 107 to 108 CFU/ml. At the regular interval microbial plating was also performed on agar to confirm the vitality and CFU count of microorganism. The concentration of test and reference item (Sodium Benzoate) chosen for both the study was 4 mg/L, while that of inoculum was 32ml/l. OECD mineral medium was used for the study. ThOD (Theoretical oxygen demand) of test and reference item was determined by calculation. % degradation was calculated using the values of BOD and ThOD for test item and reference item. The % degradation of procedure control (reference item) was also calculated using BOD & ThOD and was determined to be 74.69 %. Degradation of Sodium Benzoate exceeds 39.15 % after 7 days & 52.40 % after 14th day. The activity of the inoculum was thus verified and the test can be considered as valid. The BOD28 value of test chemical was observed to be 1.2 mgO2/mg. ThOD was calculated as 1.926 mgO2/mg. Accordingly, the % degradation of the test item after 28 days of incubation at 20 ± 1°C according to Closed Bottle test was determined to be 62.5%. Based on the results, the test item, under the test conditions, was considered to be readily biodegradable in nature.

 

On the basis of above results of the test chemical, it can be concluded that the test chemical can be considered to be readily biodegradable in nature.

Biodegradation in water and sediment

Estimation Programs Interface (2018) prediction model was run to predict the half-life in water and sediment for the test chemical. If released in to the environment, 32.9% of the chemical will partition into water according to the Mackay fugacity model level III and the half-life period of test chemical in water is estimated to be 15 days (360 hrs). The half-life (15 days estimated by EPI suite) indicates that the chemical is not persistent in water and the exposure risk to aquatic animals is moderate to low whereas the half-life period of test chemical in sediment is estimated to be 135 days (3240 hrs). However, as the percentage release of test chemical into the sediment is less than 1% (i.e, reported as 0.0792%), indicates that test chemical is not persistent in sediment.

 

Biodegradation in soil

The half-life period of test chemical in soil was estimated using Level III Fugacity Model by EPI Suite version 4.1 estimation database (2018). If released into the environment, 66.6% of the chemical will partition into soil according to the Mackay fugacity model level III. The half-life period of test chemical in soil is estimated to be 30 days (720 hrs). Based on this half-life value of test chemical, it is concluded that the chemical is not persistent in the soil environment and the exposure risk to soil dwelling animals is moderate to low.

On the basis of available information, the test chemical can be considered to be readily biodegradable in nature.

Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment

In accordance with column 2 of Annex IX of the REACH regulation,testing for this endpoint is scientifically not necessary and does not need to be conducted since the test chemical has a low potential for bioaccumulation based on logKow ≤ 3.

Adsorption / desorption

In accordance with column 2 of Annex VIII of the REACH regulation,testing for this endpoint is scientifically not necessary and does not need to be conducted since the test chemical has a low octanol water partition coefficient and the adsorption potential of this substance is related to this parameter.