2-methylpentane-2,4-diol

Short-term toxicity to fish

Description of key information

Fish LC50 is 8510 mg/L.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water fish

Fresh water fish

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect concentration:

8 510 mg/L

Additional information

Hexylene glycol was reported to have low acute toxicity to various fish species with 96-hour LC50 values well above 5000 mg/L.

An acute toxicity study was performed to assess the acute aquatic toxicity of hexylene glycol (amongst other chemicals) to 10 aquatic species (fish, crustaceans, chironomid and amphibian) (Thurston et al., 1984). Testing method followed was similar to OECD Guideline 203. Fish were exposed to a range of hexylene glycol concentrations in freshwater and under continually aerated and flow-through conditions for a period of 96 hours. The lowest 96-hour LC50 of hexylene glycol was determined to be 8510 mg/L in Gambusia affinis. No other information was available.

The acute aquatic toxicity of hexylene glycol was also assessed in other studies in which no guidelines were followed but experimental details are provided allowing to conclude that the tests have been properly carried out. The results of these studies support the low acute toxicity of hexylene glycol to fish. 

Other studies included acute toxicity tests conducted in Lepomis macrochirus under freshwater conditions, in Menidia beryllina under salt water conditions, and in Alburnus alburnus under static conditions in brackish water. Under their respective test conditions, the 96-hour LC50 of hexylene glycol was determined to be greater than 10 000 ppm in Lepomis macrochirus based on measured concentrations (Dawson et al., 1975), equal to 10 000 mg/L in Menidia beryllina based on measured concentrations (Dawson et al., 1975), and equal to 8000 mg/L in Alburnus alburnus based on nominal concentrations (Linden et al., 1979).