Registration Dossier

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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.

The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.

Diss Factsheets

Environmental fate & pathways

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

Additional information

Based on the physico-chemical properties of thioglycolic acid and salts (high solubility and low Log P), it is considered that these substances are not expected to adsorb to suspended solids, sediments and soils and are mobile in soil. The potential for bioaccumulation in aquatic or terrestrial species is also considered as negligible


Some physico-chemical properties can be used for addressing some points related to substances compartimentation. With a Henry's Law constant of 1.45 x 10-6atm-m3/mole, thioglycolic acid is expected to be essentially non-volatile from water or moist surfaces (Lyman et al., 1990). Thioglycolic acid is also not expected to volatilize from dry soil surfaces based upon an experimental vapor pressure of 16 Pa (Tremain, 2007).


Behavioural information available demonstrate the velocity of oxidaton of thioglycolic acid in oxygen saturated tap water which has been demonstrated to be very high (Smolin and Fölsing, 2009). That means that thioglycolic acid is not stable in some environmental conditions. This information about abiotic degradation of thioglycolic acid is also supported by biotic degradation data.


For the evaluation of the biodegradability of thioglycolic acid, a ready biodegradation test according to the OECD 301F was perfomed. The thioglycolic acid is considered as readily biogradable and do not raise concern in terms of persistency. Thioglycolic acid and salts are readilly biodegradable, are easilly oxidized and therefore hydrolysis test is not required and this endpoint is waived.