Chlorotrifluoroethylene

Long-term toxicity to fish

Description of key information

Long -term aquatic toxicity testing is not proposed by the registrant as the chemical assessment does not indicate a need to investigate further effects on aquatic organisms. This is based on the knowledge that the aquatic toxicity properties of the substance is unlikely as the substance is a volatilegas which is expected to rapidly partition to atmosphere and it is not expected to partition into water. In fact:
The Guidance on Information Requirements and Chemical Safety Assessment Chapter R.7a: Endpoint Specific Guidance, Appendix R.7.1-4 indicates that substances with a Henry's Law constant of around 1 hPa m3/mole rapidly volatilise from water. On the basis of a Henry’s Law constant of 31,500 Pa m3/mol (HENRYWIN v3.20, EPISUITE v1.00), a vapour pressure of 612 kPa at 25°C (ISCS No. 0685, NIOSH) and a moderate water solubility (the water solubility value of 380 mg/l  has been evaluated in a closed system and with the atmosphere saturated of CTFE hence it represents an overestimation of the actual water solubility of CTFE in the natural system), CTFE is expected to primarily and rapidly partition to the atmosphere.
The EQC Fugacity III Model (Version 2.02, The Canadian Centre for Environmental Modelling and Chemistry, May 2003) confirms that all the CTFE released to atmosphere remains in this compartment. The model was run assuming emission only to air. In case of an accidental emission, CTFE is only released to atmosphere, because CTFE is a volatile gas at ambient conditions with a boiling point in the range of -26.2°C (The Beilstein database. Reference: Miller - 1951 ) to -26.8°C (The Beilstein database. Reference: Henne - 1948). Therefore, CTFE would not be expected to partition into water.