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Diss Factsheets

Ecotoxicological information

Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria

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Description of key information

The toxicity of lithium myristate to algal growth showed no effects at a water accommodated fraction loading rate of 160 mg/L. The toxicity of lithium 12-hydroxystearate and lithium behenate showed no effects at up to 100 mg/L WAF. Therefore, the 72 hour ErL50 is determined to be > 160 mg/L WAF for lithium myristate and > 100 mg/L WAF for lithium 12-hydroxystearate and lithium behenate. The 72 hour NOErLR is 160 mg/L WAF for lithium myristate and 100 mg/L WAF for lithium 12-hydroxystearate and lithium behenate.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

The toxicities to algal growth were determined in GLP-compliant, static, freshwater tests (Harlan 2013) following OECD guideline 201. The algal growth inhibition test on lithium myristate was conducted at10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg/L WAF and no effects were observed at any of the test concentrations. Lithium 12-hydroxystearate was tested at concentrations of 1, 3.2, 10, 32 and 100 mg/L WAF alongside a blank control and no effects were observed at any concentrations.The definitive toxicity to algal growth test on lithium behenate was conducted as a limit test at 100 mg/L alongside blank controls and no toxicity was observed.

Algae were exposed to water accommodated fractions of lithium myristate, lithium 12-hydroxystearate and lithium behenate for 72 hours in standard ecotoxicity media adjusted to a hardness of approximately 150 mg/L CaCO3. Observations of algal biomass were made in triplicate at 24, 48 and 72 hours and the test solutions analysed for lithium content and total organic carbon at test initiation and termination.

Lithium myristate, the shortest carbon chain length substance in the category, has a 72 hour ErL50 of >160 mg/L WAF and a 72 hour NOErL of at least 160 mg/L WAF to algae. Lithium 12-hydroxysterate, with intermediate carbon chain length, and lithium behenate, the longest carbon chain length substance in the category, have 72 hour ErL50s of >100 mg/L WAF and 72 hour NOErLRs of at least 100 mg/L WAF to algae. As none of these substances are acutely toxic to algae, it can be justifiably expected that the remaining substances in the category with intervening carbon chain lengths will not be acutely toxic to algae either.