4-fluorophenol

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

Administrative data

Endpoint:

biodegradation in water: ready biodegradability

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

4 (not assignable)

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

review article or handbook

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

2011

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

according to guideline

Guideline:

other:

Principles of method if other than guideline:

biodegradation experiment in conical bottle with title comp. as sole carbon source; incubated
at pH ca. 6.5-7.1; analyzed by reverse phase HPLC and GC-MS;

GLP compliance:

not specified

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

4-fluorophenol

EC Number:

206-736-0

EC Name:

4-fluorophenol

Cas Number:

371-41-5

Molecular formula:

C6H5FO

IUPAC Name:

4-fluorophenol

Details on test material:

purity:99.9%

Study design

Oxygen conditions:

aerobic

Inoculum or test system:

other: acclimated activated sludge

Details on inoculum:

ABSTRACT
Acclimated activated sludge was examined for its ability to degrade mono-fluorophenols as the sole carbon
source in aerobic batch cultures. The acclimated activated sludge degraded fluorophenol efficiently. It
degraded 100 mg/l 3-fluoropheno and 4-fluorophenol in 16 h with, respectively, 99.85% and 99.91%
fluoride anion release and it degraded 50 mg/l 2-fluorophenol in 15 h with 99.26% fluoride anion release.
The aerobic biodegradability of the mono-fluorophenols decreased in the order: 4-fluorophenol > 3-
fluorophenol > 2-fluorophenol, resulting mainly from a different octanol/water partition coefficient and
different steric parameter of the fluorophenols. The mechanism study revealed that the initial step in the
aerobic biodegradation of mono-fluorophenols by the activated sludge was their transformation to fluorocatechol.
Following transformation of the fluorophenol to fluorocatechol, ring cleavage by catechol 1, 2-
dioxygenases proceeded via an ortho-cleavage pathway, then defluorination occurred.

Duration of test (contact time):

ca. 3.5 - 7 h

Initial test substance concentration

Initial conc.:

50 - 125 mg/L

Based on:

test mat.

Details on study design:

Temperature [°C] 25

Results and discussion

% Degradation

% Degradation 1

Value:

100

Sampling time:

3.5 h

Remarks on result:

other: Concentration:50mg/l

% Degradation 2

Value:

100

Sampling time:

5 h

Remarks on result:

other: concentration:75 mg/l

% Degradation 3

Value:

100

Sampling time:

7 h

Remarks on result:

other: Concentration:125 mg/l

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Interpretation of results:

readily biodegradable

Conclusions:

In the present study, 4-fluorophenol (50 to 125 mg/L) was found to be readily biodegradable in 3.5 to 7 hours, (in inoculum under aerobic conditions) indicating its readily biodegradable nature.

Executive summary:

In the present study, 4-fluorophenol (50 to 125 mg/L) was found to be readily biodegradable in 3.5 to 7 hours, (in inoculum under aerobic conditions) indicating its readily biodegradable nature.