Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 205-439-3 | CAS number: 140-89-6
PBT assessment
Administrative data
PBT assessment: overall result
- PBT status:
- the substance is not PBT / vPvB
- Justification:
When water is added to Potassium ethyl xanthate it reacts with water to form the others substances: alcohol, potassium carbonate, trithiocarbonate and carbon disulphide because of its high water solubility.
Hydrolysis will be a significant factor in determining the environmental fate of Potassium ethyl xanthate. In neutral or mildly alkaline solutions, Potassium ethyl xanthate decomposes to the alcohol, carbon disulphide, potassium carbonate and potassium trithiocarbonate, the two salts arising from neutralisation of carbon disulphide with the potassium hydroxide liberated. In more strongly alkaline media, hydrogen sulphide is liberated. However, strongly alkaline conditions are unlikely to be encountered under the conditions of use in the mining industry. The half-life at pH 7 at 25°C is reportedly about 260 hours, increasing to over 500 hours in the pH range 8 to 11.
Potassium ethyl xanthate is hydrolytically unstable when exposed to acidic conditions, reverting rapidly to ethanol, carbon disulphide and potassium hydroxide, and therefore will not persist in the acidic environment of tailings dams. If discharged to waterways, the chemical would be likely to persist for at least some days, hydrolysing only slowly in this more neutral environment. However, it is not expected to bioaccumulate in view of its ionic character
Potassium ethyl xanthate does not fulfil the criteria for persistency, bioaccumulation and toxicity as laid down in the TGD (EC, 2003). Therefore, this substance is not consideredon PBT or vPvBsubstance.
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