Registration Dossier

Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets

Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

Currently viewing:

Administrative data

Link to relevant study record(s)

Description of key information

Readily biodegradable: 68.1 - 71.7% (CO2 evolution) after 28 d (OECD 301B)

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Biodegradation in water:
readily biodegradable

Additional information

Since no studies investigating the ready biodegradability of fatty acids, C16-18, 2-octyldodecyl esters (CAS 96690-38-9) are available for this endpoint, in accordance to Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 Annex XI, 1.5 a read across to the structurally related category member 2-octyldodecyl isooctadecanoate (CAS 93803-87-3) was conducted. The read-across substance is representative to evaluate the biodegradation of fatty acids, C16-18, 2-octyldodecyl esters. 2-octyldodecyl isooctadecanoate is characterized by a similar (longer) fatty acid chain length (C18iso compared to C16-C18) and the same fatty alcohol component (2-octyldodecanol). The study with the read-across substance 2-octyldodecyl isooctadecanoatewas performed according to OECD 301B under aerobic conditions using domestic activated sludge as inoculum (Desmares-Koopmans, 1998). A test substance concentration of approx. 14.5 mg/L was degraded to an extent of 68.1 - 71.7% after 28 d. Since 2-octyldodecyl isooctadecanoate is a UVCB substance and consists of structurally similar constituents with [e.g. different chain-lengths, degree and/or site of branching or stereo-isomers], sequential (instead of concurrent) biodegradation of the individual structures can take place, but all can be considered as readily biodegradable. Thus, referring to Annex I of the OECD Guideline for Testing of Chemicals ‘Revised introduction to the OECD guidelines for testing of chemicals, section 3’ (OECD, March 2006), the 10-day window should not be considered for this UVCB substance and due to a degradation of >60 % within 28 days the substance can be regarded as readily biodegradable. Moreover, the read-across substance is assumed not to be inhibitory to activated sludge microorganisms based on a biodegradation of > 25% in the toxicity control after 14 d.

Based on the results from one structurally related read-across substance (in accordance to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Annex XI, 1.5) it can be concluded that fatty acids, C16-18, 2-octyldodecyl esters is readily biodegradable according to the OECD criteria.