Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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.
Use of this information is subject to copyright laws and may require the permission of the owner of the information, as described in the ECHA Legal Notice.
EC number: 203-481-7 | CAS number: 107-31-3
Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
Significant accumulation of methyl formate and its hydrolysis products (methanol and formic acid) in organisms is not to be expected.
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
According to the available hydrolysis study for the substance, Methyl formates' susceptibility to hydrolysis increases with pH as well as with temperature. The hydrolysis half-life ranges from 410 h at pH 4 and 20 °C to less than 1 hour at pH 9 and 25 °C (OECD 111, BASF SE, 2010). Therefore, it can be concluded, that under environmentally relevant conditions (pH 7-9) the rapid hydrolysis will be the major fate process of the methyl formate due to the short half-life in aqueous solution. Therefore, the assessment of the environmental fate of the substance is also performed for the hydrolytic products: formic acid and methanol.
Assessment:
According to Regulation (EC) 1907/2006, Annex IX, section 9.3.2., column 2 the study does not need to be conducted if the substance has a low potential for bioaccumulation (for instance a log Kow ≤ 3) or a low potential to cross biological membranes.
Due to the low measured log Kow of -0.21 of methyl formate (BASF AG, 1988, 130365/01) accumulation in organisms is not expected.
Due to the low measured log Kow of -2.1 of formic acid (measured at pH 7 and 23°C, BASF AG, 2002, Study No. 02L00109) , accumulation in organisms is not expected.
Due to the low measured log Kow of -0.77 of methanol (Smith & Hansch, 2000), accumulation in organisms is not expected.
Overall, based on the available experimental data for the log Kow of the substances, it can be concluded that Significant accumulation of methyl formate and its hydrolysis products (methanol and formic acid) in organisms is not to be expected.
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
Reproduction or further distribution of this information may be subject to copyright protection. Use of the information without obtaining the permission from the owner(s) of the respective information might violate the rights of the owner.
