Sulfuric acid, mono-C12-14-alkyl esters, potassium salts

Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates

Description of key information

7d NOEC (Ceriodaphnia dubia) = 0.12 mg/L

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water invertebrates

Fresh water invertebrates

Effect concentration:

0.12 mg/L

Additional information

Since no reliable chronic test involving aquatic invertebrates is available for C12-14AS K (CAS 1268005-68-0), in accordance to Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 Annex XI, 1.5, a read-across to another structurally related category members was conducted. Read-across data from the following alkyl sulfates were used: C12AS Na (CAS 151-21-3), C14AS Na (CAS 1191-50-0) and C12-14AS Na (CAS 85586-07-8). Toxicity of alkyl sulfates is dependent on the carbon chain length and the influence of the counter ion can be neglected. For PNEC calculation, the NOEC value derived based on the NOECs available for the pure homologues C12AS Na and C14AS Na was used.

A non-GLP, 7-day reproduction toxicity test with Ceriodaphnia dubia performed according to EPA-600/489/001 guideline is available for CAS 151-21-3 (Lauth 1996). Daphnids were exposed under flow-through conditions to five test concentrations up to 8 mg/L. Analytical check of test concentration proved that the nominal concentrations were in agreement with the measured ones. Mortality and reproduction were evaluated daily. The NOEC value determined after 7 days of exposure to test substance was 0.88 mg/L (measured concentration). This value together with the NOEC for C14AS Na presented below was further used for derivation of NOEC of C12-14AS K (CAS 1268005-68-0).

The result of Lauth (1996) is supported by a publication from LeBlanc (1982). In this non-GLP, 40-day test Daphnia magna was exposed to CAS 151-21-3 up to 8 mg/L (nominal concentration) over four consecutive generations under semi-static conditions. No special guideline was followed. Offspring daphnids of less than 24 hours of age were collected after 10 days of exposure to the test substance and exposed for another 10 days. This procedure was repeated three times. The overall NOEC ranged from 2 to 4 mg/L (nominal concentrations, analytics not performed).

A non-GLP study with C14AS Na (CAS 1191-50-0) was carried according to the EPA-600/489/001 guidance under flow-through conditions (Lauth 1996). Ceriodaphnia dubia was exposed to the test substance up to 2.53 mg/L (measured concentrations) for 7 days. The 7-day NOEC for both reproduction and mortality was below 0.05 mg a.i./L (measured concentration). This value together with the C12AS Na NOEC was further used for derivation of NOEC of C12-14AS K (CAS 1268005-68-0).

One non-GLP study performed according to OECD 211 is available for C12-14AS Na (CAS 85586-07-8; Verge 2000). Daphnia magna was exposed to the test substance for 21 days under semi-static conditions. No analytical measurements are available. The 21-day EC50 value was calculated to be 5.7 mg/L (nominal concentration).

Due to structural and property similarities with the tested category member these results also can be used to determine the long term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates of C12-14AS K (CAS 1268005-68-0). For PNEC calculation, chronic data available for the pure homologues C12AS Na (CAS 151-21-3) and C14AS Na (CAS 1191-50-0) were used. The composition of C12-14AS K (CAS 1268005-68-0) used for the NOEC calculation was based on the normalized mean values of provided ranges: C12: 58.1%, C14: 32.6%, the chain C12 and C14 were set at 4.7%. Using the additivity formula stipulated in the EC Regulation 1272/2008, NOEC value for CAS 1268005-68-0 is 0.12 mg/L. Since the result of Daphnia reproduction test was the lowest chronic aquatic effect value, the NOEC of 0.12 mg/L was used for PNEC calculation.