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Administrative data

Link to relevant study record(s)

Description of key information

The chemical safety assessment according to Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 does not indicate the need to investigate further the toxicity to sediment organisms.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

No experimental data evaluating the toxicity to sediment organisms are available for Neopentyl glycol dicaprate (CAS No. 27841-06-1). Only negligible releases into surface waters from sewage treatment plants are expected to take place due to the high adsorption potential of this substance, resulting in an effective removal in sewage treatment plants. Therefore, chronic exposure of sediment organisms is unlikely. Furthermore, the substance is not toxic to aquatic organisms up to the limit of water solubility. Based on the available information, toxicity to sediment organisms is not expected to be of concern.

Intrinsic properties and fate

Neopentyl glycol dicaprate (CAS No. 27841-06-1) is readily biodegradable (> 90% biodegradation after 28 days; OECD 301B). According to the Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.7b, readily biodegradable substances can be expected to undergo rapid and ultimate degradation in most environments, including biological sewage treatment plants (STP) where the substance will be extensively removed in the primary settling tank and fat trap. As a result of the high adsorption potential of the substance (KOCWIN v2.00; MCI method: log Koc=5.2567; log Pow based estimate: log Koc=6.115) a removal from the water column to a significant degree by adsorption to sewage sludge can be expected (Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.7b, (ECHA, 2017)). Thus, only limited amounts will get in contact with activated sludge organisms in STPs and the concentration of the substance in effluents of conventional STPs is presumably marginal. The rest will be extensively biodegraded (due to ready biodegradability). Thus, discharged concentrations of these substances into the aqueous/sediment compartment are likely to be negligible.

Considering this it can be assumed that the availability of Neopentyl glycol dicaprate (CAS No. 27841-06-1) in the sediment environment is very low, which reduces the probability of chronic exposure of sediment organisms in general.

Aquatic ecotoxicity data

Available acute data from structurally related read-across substances with fish, aquatic invertebrates and algae as well as chronic aquatic toxicity tests from aquatic invertebrates and algae showed that no adverse effects occurred up to the limit of water solubility (< 2.4 µg/L). The results obtained indicate that Neopentyl glycol dicaprate (CAS No. 27841-06-1) is likely to show no toxicity to sediment organisms either.

 

Metabolism:

After absoprtion Neopentyl glycol dicaprate (CAS No. 27841-06-1) is expected to hydrolyse in vivo, yielding the alcohol 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol (neopentyl glycol) and decanoic acid. The metabolism of the hydrolysis products, i.e. neopentyl glycol and decanoic acid, is well established and not of concern in terms of bioaccumulation. Both hydrolysis products are presumed to be satisfactory metabolized in aquatic organisms. Therefore, no potential for bioaccumulation is to be expected.

 

Conclusion

Due to its readily biodegradable nature and its high potential for adsorption to sewage sludge, extensive degradation of Neopentyl glycol dicaprate (CAS No. 27841-06-1) will take place in conventional STPs and only low concentrations are expected to be released (if at all) into the environment. Once present in the aquatic compartment the substance will mainly partition to the sediment particles due to the low water solubility and high adsorption potential. Thus, the substance will be bioavailable to sediment organisms mainly via feed and contact with suspended organic particles. After uptake by sediment species the substance is expected to hydrolyse in vivo, yielding the alcohol 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol (neopentyl glycol) and decanoic acid. Furthermore, all available aquatic toxicity data show that no acute or chronic effects occur up to the limit of water solubility. Therefore, Neopentyl glycol dicaprate (CAS No. 27841-06-1) is unlikely to pose a risk for sediment organisms and testing is thus omitted.