Fatty acids, C18 unsat, reaction products with diethylenetriamine

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

Description of key information

Tall oil diethylenetriamine imidazoline is considered not persistent as >60% degradation is observed after 60 days in a prolonged ready test. The substance is therefore considered inherently biodegradable.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Biodegradation in water:

inherently biodegradable

Additional information

Imidazoline DETA

Tall oil diethylenetriamine imidazoline may be biocidal to micro-organisms and consequently inhibitory in all ready biodegradability tests. Reduction of the toxicity of fatty amine derivatives in ready biodegradability tests has therefore been achieved through the addition silica gel (van Ginkel et al, 2008). For toxic substances, the specified high test substance concentrations in ready biodegradability tests are controversial because substances are present in the environment in the sub μg/L range.Tall oil diethylenetriamine imidazoline tested in the presence of silica gel was biodegraded 24% at day 28 in the Closed Bottle test. In the prolonged Closed Bottle test tall oil diethylenetriamine imidazoline was biodegraded 61% at day 60 (Akzo Nobel, 2010). The bio­degradation reached at the day 60 demonstrates that tall oil diethylenetriamine imidazoline is ultimately biodegradable and not persistent. In another Closed Bottle test a biodegradation percentage of 17 was reached at day 28 (Arkema, 2009). 

Complete (ultimate) degradation of tall oil diethylenetriamine imidazoline was also found in a semi continuously fed activated sludge (SCAS) test (van Ginkel et al, 2010). In this test removal percentages of organic carbon of >90% were achieved. Complete degradation of tall oil diethylenetriamine imidazoline can also be concluded from the ready biodegradability of fatty acids and diethylenetriamine formed upon hydrolysis (Popp, 1977; van Ginkel et al 1995)