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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Administrative data

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no emission to STP expected

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no exposure of sediment expected

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no exposure of sediment expected

Hazard for air

Air

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no exposure of soil expected

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no potential for bioaccumulation

Additional information

Valid distribution models identified water and air as exclusive target compartments of the test item (BASF 2008) with a high preference for the water phase based on the low Henry’s Law constant of 0.034 Pa m3/mol at 25 °C  (Betterton and Hoffman 1988).  In water the test item reacts to the non-toxic hydrate methylene glycol according to an equilibrium reaction shifted almost completely towards the product methylene glycol (Keq(25°C) = 1.82 *103) with a quantity of > 99.9% in aqueous solutions. In addition, different biotic and abiotic degradation processes take place in in water and air such as aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation (Eiroa et al. 2006; Fraunhofer IME 2011) or direct and indirect photolysis (Atkinson et al. 1997; Howard 1991). So the monomolecular form of the test item is not present in the target compartments in relevant concentrations. In conclusion, an exposure of organisms to significant concentrations is very unlikely and accumulation in organisms is not expected due a low log Kow (0.35). Contrary to the assumed toxic potential based on the chemical properties as highly reactive aldehyde, no hazard for environmental organism could be identified due to the short existence of the monomolecular form of the test item.


Beside anthropogenic emission, the test item occurs naturally in the environment as it is the product of many natural processes for example biomass combustion such as bushfires or irradiation of humic substance by sunlight. Since the test item is a common metabolic intermediate, it is present in most living organisms (Chénier 2003) and organism are well adapted to these concentrations. Due to the reactivity and rapid degradation in water and air the exposure to soil, aquatic or sediment organisms to hazardous concentrations of the test item is, if occurring at all, verry low. In conclusion, no environmental risk is expected for the test item.


A detailed hazard assessment and conclusion is made in the attached document.

Conclusion on classification

L(E)C50 values from studies on acute aquatic toxicity of formaldehyde are > 1 mg/L for all 3 trophic levels. The test item is readily biodegradable and has no potential for bioaccumulation.


In addition a NOEC (21 d) of 1.04 mg/L from a reproduction study conducted with Daphnia magna is available.


In conclusion formaldehyde does not need to be classified for environmental effects.