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EC number: 205-861-8 | CAS number: 156-62-7
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
Calcium cyanamide and cyanamide are concluded to be readily biodegradable based on the following information:
Abiotic degradation
Calcium cyanamide is rapidly transformed to cyanamide.
For detailed description where read across is used/recommended and where it is preferable to refrain from read across, please see section 13.2 "read across justification for environmental endpoints" and "Scientific rationale for not using cyanamide as read-across substance for calcium cyanamide on toxicological endpoints"
At environmentally relevant pH and temperatures, cyanamide is hydrolytically stable. However, at low pH, the substance is hydrolysed to urea and eventually to carbon dioxide and ammonia in an acid-catalysed reaction. In alkaline solution, cyanamide dimerises to dicyandiamide.
Read-across data from cyanamide clearly show, a photolytically half-life of cyanamide in buffered aqueous solutions of 28.9 days and 38.5 days at pH 5 and pH 7. Urea was detected as major degradation product in the light exposed samples (urea was also detected in the pH 5 dark control samples at concentrations up to 8.18 % of IMD).
Two studies examined the photo transformation of cyanamide in soil. In the newer higher tier soil photolysis that was conducted under more realistic conditions, no major metabolites of cyanamide were encountered and cyanamide was practically completely mineralised to CO2in both irradiated and dark control samples. The degradation of cyanamide was fast both in irradiated and in the dark samples with DT50 values of 2.4 and 2.0 h, respectively, indicating that the rate of degradation due to photolysis is negligible compared to the rate of degradation caused by biodegradation in soil.
Biodegradation
According to the results of a ready biodegradation test (CO2evolution), calcium cyanamide, cannot be classified as readily biodegradable.
However, results from simulation tests together with other environmental fate data from cyanamide show a rapid degradation within a few days to its major degradation products urea and/or CO2.
In two water/sediment systems, DT50values of 2.5 days (river) and 4.8 days (pond) for the whole systems and half-lives of 2.3 days (river) and 4.3 days (pond) for the water phase were calculated. Elimination of [14C]-cyanamide from the water/sediment systems proceeded mainly via mineralisation to CO2. Only one major metabolite, identified as urea, was detected in the pond system. In the sediments, neither the parent substance nor degradation products were detected in significant amounts.
The following DT50and DT90values were calculated for the aerobic and anaerobic degradation of cyanamide in soil under laboratory conditions:
DT50aerobic: 0.7–4.6 days
DT90aerobic: 2.4–15.2 days
DT50anaerobic: 34.7 days
DT90anaerobic: 105 days
In soil samples that were incubated with the calcium cyanamide fertiliser product PERLKA at different soil moisture contents (ca. 25 % and 50 % of the maximum water holding capacity) and temperatures (12 °C or 20°C) DT50values for PERLKA (= release of cyanamide from PERLKA) range between 0.60 -2.51 days. DT50values for the subsequent degradation of cyanamide were determined to 0.55 -1.15 days.
The formation of secondary transformation products (i.e. dicyandiamide (DCD), urea (CH4N2O), nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-) and ammonia (NH4+)) shows distinct differences depending on whether the soil is treated with Cyanamid F1000 or PERLKA. Whereas for Cyanamid F1000 only urea and ammonia in larger amounts could be detected, for PERLKA also nitrate and DCD were determined. The observed nitrate is not a transformation product but represents the original amount of nitrate in PERLKA.
In a field study, cyanamide (a 50.5 % (w/w) aqueous solution of cyanamide) was applied to a set-up of soil plots in 2 locations in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Cyanamide was degraded very fast in the soil, with a mean DT50 field value of 1 day and a worst-case DT50 field value of 1.6 days. Two weeks after application no Cyanamide residues could be detected anymore and thus, the DT90field is less than 2 weeks.
Conclusion on degradation data
Calcium cyanamide is rapidly transformed to cyanamide but cannot be considered as readily biodegradable. However, according to Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging (CLP), Annex I, Section 4.1.2.9.2. besides the results obtained in a screening test on ready biodegradability also other evidence of rapid biodegradation in the environment may be considered. E.g. if the substance degrades biotically or abiotically in the aquatic environment by > 70 % in 28 days under environmentally realistic conditions. These criteria are met, as the DT50resp. DT90values resulting from studies performed with cyanamide (free acid from the Ca-salt) on aerobic degradation in soil, in the water/sediment compartment and in field studies are far below 28 days. Thus, taking all data together it can be concluded that calcium cyanamide is rapidly degraded in sediment and soil within a few days.
Bioaccumulation
From its physical-chemical parameters, calcium cyanamide is not expected to have a significant potential for bioaccumulation.
Adsorption/desorption
The log Koc of Calcium cyanamide, technical grade (Kalkstickstoff) was measured to be < 1.25 at pH 5.5 and 7.5.
Based on the very low log Kow of -0.72, calcium cyanamide is not expected to have a significant potential for adsorption to soil but is rather expected to be quite mobile in soil.
The derived Koc values for the read-across substance cyanamide range between 0 and 6.8 mL/g (pH range 5.3 - 7.1), indicating a low adsorption potential to soil, and supporting the result for calcium cyanamide.
However, taking into account information from lysimeter studies and column leaching experiments, complete degradation of calcium cyanamide takes place after application to soil. Repeated application does not lead to enrichment of calcium cyanamide. The degradation of calcium cyanamide in soil contributes to the finding that only traces of calcium cyanamide appeared in the lysimeter percolate (mean concentration < 0.03 µg/L).
It can be concluded that calcium cyanamide is rapidly degraded in the upper soil layers and will not leach into deeper soil layers despite its high mobility.
Additional information
Information on the behaviour of cyanamide in the environment is used in a read-across approach for the assessment of calcium cyanamide:
Upon dissolution in water calcium cyanamide is fast transformed to hydrogen cyanamide. Thus, for industrial manufacture and use, release of calcium cyanamide to water will result in potential environmental exposure of hydrogen cyanamide. Any subsequent potential soil exposure via sludge and air will be by cyanamide, not calcium cyanamide.
(Please note: EUSES modelling (implemented in Chesar v3.3) indicates negligible soil exposure via sludge and air. Release percentages of the modelled biological STP directed to air and sludge are 3.81E-04 % and 0.168%, respectively. Cyanamide is rapidly degraded in water/sediment and soil systems. Thus, rapid degradation of cyanamide is anticipated during storage of sewage sludge in digestion towers prior to soil application (if applicable), reducing the final concentration of hydrogen cyanamide in sludge to negligible values.)
For the agricultural application of calcium cyanamide the substance is formulated in a slow dissolving granule (PERLKA) that is applied to agricultural fields as a fertiliser. In contact with soil moisture, PERLKA granules will slowly release cyanamide. Thus, available data on the biodegradation of cyanamide in soil are relevant in the assessment of calcium cyanamide.
For detailed description where read across is used/recommended and where it is preferable to refrain from read across, please see section 13.2 "read across justification for environmental endpoints" and "Scientific rationale for not using cyanamide as read-across substance for calcium cyanamide on toxicological endpoints"
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