Alcohols, C6-8, ethoxylated

Endpoint summary

Description of key information

Based on the very comparable toxicokinetic results with close structural analogous ethoxylated alcohols of various C-chain length and ethoxylation degrees, the registered ethoxylated alcohol is considered to be readily absorbed. Excretion is rapid and almost complete. The absorption, distribution and elimination kinetics of ethoxylated alcohols in human volunteers are closely resembling the kinetic behaviour of this class of compounds in animals. However,  ethoxylated alcohol are absorbed only poorly through human skin and much less readily than through rat skin.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Bioaccumulation potential:

no bioaccumulation potential

Absorption rate - oral (%):

100

Additional information

The toxicokinetic profile of a substance comprises its absorption into the body, its distribution in the body, its metabolism in the body and its excretion from the body. Experimental data on toxicokinetics for the test item are not available. However, taking into account the physicochemical properties of the submission substance, qualitative estimates for these aspects may be deduced for the submission substance.

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of different C14 -labelled ethoxylated alcohols (C12 with 3, 6 and 10 EO) was investigated in Wistar rats following oral and dermal exposure. Following administration the animals were placed in metabolism cages for 4 days and faeces, urine and expired air were monitored for C14 activity. At termination, various tissues, organs and the carcass were analysed for radioactivity. Relative amounts of test compounds found in urine, faeces, air and carcass did not differ significantly and recoveries were almost 100% for both exposure routes. The results suggests nearly complete absorption from the gastrointestinal tract for the shorter ethoxylate chain compounds whereas longer ethoxylate chain compounds may be partly excreted via bile or into the intestine by other routes. For each investigated ethoxylated alcohol, two distinct polar metabolites were detected in urine which are most probably resulting from the oxidization of the alcohol chain while the ethoxylate residue remains intact. In a separate study, the absorption, distribution and elimination kinetics of a C14 labelled C14 -18 fatty alcohol with 10 EO was investigated following single oral doses up to 1000 mg/kg body weight to Wistar rats. Urine, faeces and labelled CO2 were monitored daily over a period of 4 days. To investigate the distribution pattern, oesophagus, intestine, liver, kidney and blood were also monitored for C14 activity. Based on the results, a comparable kinetic behaviour to previous studies was observed. The ethoxylated alcohol was readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract with penetration rates of 80 - 90 %, elimination was rapid and almost complete and only very low levels of radioactivity were detected in the investigated organs. Based on all available reports, fatty alcohol ethoxylates of various chain length and ethoxylation degrees are absorbed quickly and extensively following oral exposure while dermal absorption is more slowly and incomplete. Elimination is rapid and almost complete whith urinary excretion being the major pathway with smaller amounts appearing in faeces (most probably due to biliary excretion) and CO2. From the toxicokinetic data, no indications of a bioaccumulative potential of ethoxylated alcohols exist.