2,4,6-tribromophenol

Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment

Description of key information

The key study selected for this endpoint was chosen based as it was reported to a good standard and although not performed to the current internationally accepted guidelines, it was performed to a good scientific standard, and as such the results were considered reliable for use in assessing bioaccumulation in aquatic species. The BCF value for aquatic species presented below is the edible fraction value experimentally derived in Nye (1978).

Key value for chemical safety assessment

BCF (aquatic species):

20 dimensionless

Additional information

Reference Nye, D.E. (1978)

Reliability: 2

Result: BAF edible fraction ca. 20 dimensionless, BCF viscera 140 dimensionless. The compound did not show a potential for bioconcentration in the simple aquatic system (bluegill sunfish) employed in this test. 2,4,6-tribromophenol was accumulated by the fish during the treatment phase, but once the chemical was removed from the system, the radiocarbon in the fish tissue was completely eliminated within 7 days.

Reference: Devillers, J. et al. (1996)

Reliability: 4

Result: logBCF 2.71 (in zebra fish) data cited from secondary sources (reported as experimentally derived), very little available information was available to aid in assessing the reliability of this result.

Reference: Whitfield, F.B. et al. (1995)

Reliability: 2

Result: The carcass and gut contents of 10 species caught off the eastern coast of Australia were analyzed by GC-MS for 2,4,6-tribromophenol and other bromophenols. These bromophenols cause iodoform-like flavours in seafoods. The variations among fish diets suggest that bromophenol content of individual fish can be explained by the relative contribution of benthic organisms and marine algae to the fish diet. Bromophenols were found in all of the benthic carnivores and diverse omnivores examined but were not detected in pelagic carnivorous fish. 2,4,6 -tribromophenol was detected in all sampled fish except Zeus faber and Pseudorhombus arsius, ranging from ND (0.05) to 170 ng/g in the gut and ranging from ND to 3.4 in whole carcass.

Reference: Spehar, R.L. et al. (1980)

Reliability: 4

Result: After 32 days exposure to brominated wastewater effluent, the calculated 2,4,6-Tribromophenol BCF for fathead minnows was 83. Data is reportedly only a secondary citation in a review.