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EC number: 292-334-0 | CAS number: 90604-40-3
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
Biodegradation in water: screening tests
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
Readily Biodegradable: 100% in 30 days (OECD 301D: Closed Bottle Test)
Key value for chemical safety assessment
- Biodegradation in water:
- readily biodegradable
Additional information
A reliable study (Richterich, 2002, summarising an older test), conducted according to an appropriate test protocol (OECD 301D), but not conducted according to GLP, determined the substance to be readily biodegradable (100% O2 consumption in 30 days). The test kinetics show the ten-day window was met (although this criterion is not applicable for mixed, homologous test substances such as this). Due to the low water solubility of the test substance, an homogenous distribution was achieved by ultrasound dispersion and stabilisation by an inert emulsifier. The dispersing agent was nonylphenol ethoxylate.
This finding is supported by reliable data for constituents of the registered alcohols within the category of C6 -24 linear and essentially-linear alcohols in standard studies.
A reliable study (P&G, 2009), conducted according to an appropriate test protocol (OECD 301B), but not conducted according to GLP, determined samples of pure linear alcohols in the range C12 - C16 to be readily biodegradable (69.0 - 82.4% CO2 evolution in 28 days), meeting the ten day window. Both C12 and C14 are present as constituents in the registered substance. C16 is not present at significant proportions but consideration of the result for C16 allows interpolation to C15, which has not been tested. Trichloromethane was used as a solubilising agent in this study. The solvent was then evaporated under a gentle stream of N2 gas to deposit the test materials as a film on the walls of the vessels.
This study (P&G, 2009), using a methodology with appropriate loading method for the low solubility of the substances, was carried out with a range of linear saturated alcohols from four carbon chain length (C4) to twenty-two carbon chain length (C22).
These results are significant and fit for purpose even though the study was not conducted to GLP. The study gave results of 76.1% (C4), 77.7% (C6), 77.9% (C8), 74.6% (C10), 69.0% (C12), 82.2% (C14), 82.4% (C16), 95.6% (C18), 88.4% (C20) and 87.9% (C22) in 28 days. All were readily biodegradable, meeting the ten-day window.
Another reliable study is available (Huntingdon, 1996), conducted according to an appropriate test protocol (OECD 301B), but not conducted according to GLP. This study determined the substance to be not readily biodegradable (59% CO2 evolution in 29 days). The result from this study is considered as an unexplained outlier.
It is quite normal to observe some inter-laboratory variation in screening studies, particularly for substances where solubility limits may be a factor in degradation rates under the conditions of the testing. Due to the very diluted nature of the inoculum and its limited size, it may sometime happen that no degradation-competent microorganisms are present in a particular inoculum. This is evidenced by the variable mineralisation levels seen for standard reference substances under the conditions of OECD 301 (e.g. glucose, 55-90%; benzoates 61-95%) in studies collated by AISE/CESIO [AISE/CESIO company data, and the 'Study on the possible problems for the aquatic environment related to surfactants in detergents' (WRc Ref EC4294, May 1997)].
In the case where multiple reliable studies exist showing a range of extent of biodegradation in the course of standard tests, the normal approach is to base the interpretation on the higher degradation results, this is in line with ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment. An important piece of additional evidence to consider is the availability of ready biodegradation data from a series of tests conducted at the same laboratory at the same time, to examine degradability throughout the series of linear alcohols from C4-C22. Whilst at the time of the studies summarised by Richterich (2002) and conducted by P&G (2009), the laboratories were not GLP-certified, the data are reliable and consistent throughout the homologous series. In the key study (Richterich, 2002), alcohols, C12 -15 -branched and linear was found to be readily biodegradable and in the study by P&G (2009), alcohols of chain lengths C12, C14 and C16 (and all other chain lengths studied) were found to be readily biodegradable.
For these reasons, the Huntingdon, 1996 study result is disregarded.
The conclusion of ready biodegradability is consistent with evidence of rapid metabolism of long-chain fatty alcohols in fish, mammals and microorganisms(see IUCLID Sections 5.3.1, 7.1 and 6.1.4).
In addition to the reliable OECD TG 301 ready biodegradation studies discussed above, a 5-day biochemical oxygen demand studies are available (Bridie, 1974).
REACH Guidance (Chapter R7b) states the following regarding this type of test:
"Information on the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) can be used for classification purposes only when no other measured degradability data are available. Thus, priority is given to data from ready biodegradability tests and from simulation studies regarding degradability in the aquatic environment. The BOD5 test is a traditional biodegradation test that is now replaced by the readybiodegradability tests. Therefore, this test should not be performed today for assessment of the ready biodegradability of substances. Older test data may, however, be used when no other degradability data are available".
This BOD5 study is therefore selected as supporting study. It indicates readily biodegradable based on a BOD5/COD ratio of >0.5.
There is also one study (Stone, 1979) which is deemed to be invalid due to the use of pre-acclimated inoculum. A methodology comparable with OECD 301B was used and 83% degradation was observed within 28 days. It should be noted however that due to the natural occurrence of alcohols of this category, and biotic generation of the same alcohols by WWTP microorganisms, all test inocula would be pre-adapted to some extent. The result is invalid in terms of methodological compliance with good practice standards, but the result is informative for the situation of a wastewater treatment plant at which alcohol-containing effluents are treated on a regular basis.
Available reports for BODIS tests report constituents of the substance to be readily biodegradable (92% in 28 days O2 consumption and 76% in 28 days respectively) (Henkel, 1992d and a respectively).
Discussion of trends in the Category of C6-24 linear and essentially-linear aliphatic alcohols:
Many biodegradation assays have been carried out on this family of alcohols. Studies generated on single carbon chain length alcohols for tests that conform most closely to ready test biodegradability methods (OECD 301 series) show that alcohols with chain lengths up to C22 are readily biodegradable. In all cases the inoculum was not acclimated. Older reliable data suggest that chain lengths above C18 are not readily biodegradable, however those studies used loading techniques which, while in general still reliable, did not make allowance for the reduced bioavailability caused by the low water solubility of these longest chain substances. Where the substances are introduced into the test vessels by coating onto the flask, very rapid biodegradation was confirmed at all chain lengths tested.
In the older supporting tests, alcohols with chain lengths up to C18 are readily biodegradable. At carbon chain lengths ≤ 14, most tests showed that pass levels for ready biodegradation were reached within the 10 day window. Chain lengths of C16-18 achieved ready test pass levels, but not within the 10 day window. The one test on a single carbon chain length greater than C18 (using docosanol) showed degradation of 37%.
Tests which allowed adaptation are considered to have significant methodological deficiencies in terms of REACH requirements for the present purpose, and are accordingly considered to be Klimisch reliability 3: Invalid. However these also consistently demonstrate extensive biodegradability. Aliphatic alcohols occur naturally in the environment and environmental organisms will be acclimated.
Reliable studies for decanol and tetradecanol that show low levels of degradation are considered to be unexplained outliers. It is usual in the interpretation of such data to take the highest levels of degradation as the key study.
P&G (2009) conducted ready biodegradation screening tests on even-numbered saturated single chain length alcohols (C6-C22) using an appropriate test method (OECD 301B). Although, the test was not conducted in compliance with GLP, the study was found to be consistent with other available data, reliable and acceptable for environmental assessment. All tests substances were found to behave in a similar way. The substances were found to be readily biodegradable meeting the ten day window after a brief lag period. A separate test using the same methodology has confirmed the ready biodegradability result, meeting the ten-day window, at the upper end of the carbon number range (docosan-1-ol) in a GLP-compliant study (Flach, 2012).
Some variability is seen in the ultimate percentage degradation over the course of the study (see Table 1 below). It is quite normal to observe some inter-laboratory variation in screening studies, particularly for substances where solubility limits may be a factor in degradation rates under the conditions of the testing. As discussed above, due to the very diluted nature of the inoculum and its limited size, it may sometime happen that no degradation-competent microorganisms are present in a particular inoculum. This is evidenced by the variable mineralisation levels seen for standard reference substances under the conditions of OECD 301. In the case where multiple reliable studies exist showing a range of extent of biodegradation in the course of standard tests, the normal approach is to base the interpretation on the higher degradation results, this is in line with ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, and consistent with the availability of ready biodegradation data from a series of tests conducted at the same laboratory at the same time, to examine degradability throughout the series of linear alcohols from C6-C22. Whilst at the time of the study (P&G, 2009), the laboratory was not GLP-certified, the data are reliable and consistent throughout the homologous series. In this study (P&G, 2009) and all other chain lengths studied were found to be readily biodegradable.
Biodegradation under anaerobic conditions
The anaerobic biodegradability of a range of chain lengths within the category has been investigated (C6 and C16 alcohols, 2 studies;and C16-18 and C18 unsaturated alcohols, 2 studies). All test substances were anaerobically degradable. Results from available studies are presented in Table 2 below.
Biodegradation by algae
Rapid degradation in water is indicated by the difficulties encountered in aquatic toxicity tests (chronicDaphniareproduction) for long chain aliphatic alcohols (Section 6.1.4). Alcohols in the range C10-C15 were found to be rapidly removed from the test medium. This was attributed to metabolism by algae present as a food source in tests, and in later stages of the 21-day tests to bacterial degradation by microbes adsorbed onto the carapace of the test daphnids, despite daily cleaning of the animals.
Natural occurrence
It is important for context to note the findings from studies in the EU and US which consistently show that anthropogenic alcohols in the environment are minimal compared to the level of natural occurrence. Using stable isotope signatures of fatty alcohols in a wide variety of household products and in environmental matrices sampled from river catchments in the United States and United Kingdom, Mudgeet al.(2012) estimated that 1% or less of fatty alcohols in rivers are from waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, 15% is fromin situproduction (by algae and bacteria), and 84% is of terrestrial origin. Further, the fatty alcohols discharged from the WWTP are not the original fatty alcohols found in the influent. While the compounds might have the same chain lengths, they have different stable isotopic signatures (Mudgeet al., 2012).
In conclusion, the environmental impact of these studies is that it has confirmed that the fatty alcohols entering a sewage treatment plant (as influent) are partly derived from detergents, but these are not the same alcohols as those in the effluent which arise fromin-situbacterial synthesis. In turn, the fatty alcohols found in the sediments near the outfall of the WWTP are derived from natural synthesis and are not the same alcohols as those in the effluent.
Biodegradation under anaerobic conditions
The anaerobic biodegradability of C6, C16 (2 studies) and C16-18 + C18 unsaturated (2 studies), has been investigated. Table 1 shows that all test substances were anaerobically degradable.
Table 1: Ready biodegradation data on single constituent alcohols
CAS |
Chemical Name |
Method |
Result |
Reliability |
Reference |
||
% degradation |
10 day window |
||||||
111-27-3 |
1-Hexanol |
|
301B |
77.7% in 28 days at 17 mg/L |
69.8% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
111-27-3 |
1-Hexanol |
|
OECD 301-D |
77% in 30 days at 2 mg/L 61% in 30 days at 5 mg/L |
>60% in 14 days |
2 |
Richterich, 2002a |
111-27-3 |
1-Hexanol |
|
Non-standard |
- half life of 8.7 hours |
- |
2 |
Yonezawa and Urushigawa 1979 |
111-87-5 |
1-Octanol |
|
301B |
77.9% in 28 days at 18.8 mg/L |
79.2% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
111-87-5 |
1-Octanol |
|
ISO ring test (CO2 headspace biodegr. test) |
92% in 28 days at 20 mg/L |
>60% |
2 |
Procter & Gamble, 1996 |
111-87-5 |
1-Octanol |
|
OECD 301-B |
59 % in 29 days at 10 mgC/L |
- |
2 |
Huntingdon Life Sciences Ltd. 1996a |
111-87-5 |
1-Octanol |
|
Non-standard |
- half life of 1.9 hours |
- |
2 |
Yonezawa and Urushigawa 1979 |
112-30-1 |
1-Decanol |
|
|
74.6% in 28 days at 15.1 mg/L |
68.6% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
112-30-1 |
1-Decanol |
|
301-D |
88% in 30 days at 2 mg/L |
>60% |
2 |
Richterich, 2002c |
112-30-1 |
1-Decanol |
|
301-B |
29 % after 29 day(s) at 10 mg/L |
- |
2 |
Huntingdon Life Sciences Ltd. 1996b |
112-53-8 |
1-Dodecanol |
|
301B |
69% in 28 days at 15.4 mg/L |
63% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
112-53-8 |
1-Dodecanol |
|
301-D |
79% in 28 days at 2 mg/L |
>60% in 14 days |
1 |
Richterich, 1993 |
112-72-1 |
1-Tetradecanol |
|
301B |
82.2% in 28 days at 15.9 mg/L |
77.2% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
112-72-1 |
1-Tetradecanol |
|
BODIS ~ISO 10708 |
92% in 28 days at 100 mg/L |
>60% |
1 |
Henkel, 1992d |
112-72-1 |
1-Tetradecanol |
|
301-B |
28 % after 28 day(s) at 25.4 mg/L |
- |
1 |
Mead 1997b |
36653-82-4 |
1-Hexadecanol |
|
301B |
82.4% in 28 days at 15.3 mg/L |
75.2% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
36653-82-4 |
1-Hexadecanol |
|
301B |
62% after 28 days at 17.1 mg/L |
<60% |
1 |
Mead, 1997c |
36653-82-4 |
1-Hexadecanol |
|
BODIS |
76 % after 28 day(s) at 100 mg/L |
<60% after 14 d |
2 |
Henkel KGaA 1992a |
112-92-5 |
1-Octadecanol |
|
301B |
95.6% in 28 days at 14.5 mg/L |
90.2% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
112-92-5 |
1-Octadecanol |
|
301D |
38% in 29 days at 5 mg/L 69% in 29 days at 2 mg/L |
<60% |
1 |
Henkel, 1992f |
629-96-9 |
1-Eicosanol |
|
301B |
88.4% in 28 days at 15.6 mg/L |
83.4% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
661-19-8 |
1-Docosanol |
|
301B |
87.5% in 28 days at 20 mg/L |
75.6% |
1 |
Flach, 2012 |
661-19-8 |
1-Docosanol |
|
301B |
87.9% in 28 days at 15.3 mg/L |
83% |
2 |
P&G 2009 |
661-19-8 |
1-Docosanol |
|
301B |
37% after 28 days at 12.4 mg/L |
<60% |
1 |
Mead, 2000 |
Table 2: Anaerobic degradation of alcohols
CAS |
Chemical name |
Comment |
Method |
Source of sludge |
Concentration of test substance |
Duration |
% degradation at end of test |
Reliability |
Reference |
111-87-5 |
1-Octanol |
|
Serum bottle, gas production + GC analysis |
1oor 2odigesters |
50µg/ml |
8 weeks |
>75% |
2 |
Sheltonand Tiedje, 1984 |
36653-82-4 |
1-Hexadecanol |
|
Batch test using14C labelled test material |
Municipal digester sludge fortified with activated sludge |
1 mg/L |
28 days |
90% |
2 |
Nuck and Federle, 1996 |
36653-82-4 |
1-Hexadecanol |
|
Batch test using14C labelled test material |
Municipal sewage digester |
10 mg/L |
28 days |
97% |
2 |
Steber and Wierich, 1987 |
68002-94-8 |
Alcohols, C16-18 and C18 unsaturated |
Supporting |
ECETOC screening test |
Municipal sewage digester |
50 mg/L |
8 weeks |
89% |
2 |
Steberet al. 1995 |
A study by Rorije et al. (1998) on structural requirements for anaerobic biodegradation of organic chemicals is relevant. The study used a computer-automated structure evaluation program (MCASE) to analyse rates of aquatic anaerobic biodegradation of a set of diverse organic compounds, and developed a predictive model. Primary alcohols were one of the most important fragments linked to biodegradability (biophore). The authors discuss how the presence of a biophore indicates a possible site of attack for microbes to follow a metabolic pathway for anaerobic biodegradation.
Biodegradation in STP-simulation tests
Other recent data on ethoxylated alcohols also suggest that the rate of degradation could be higher than usually assigned to readily-biodegradable substances. In an OECD 303A study of the fate of alcohol ethoxylate homologues in a laboratory continuous activated sludge unit (Wind,et al., 2006) useful data about the properties and environmental exposures of alcohols are presented, although the paper describes mainly the properties of alcohol ethoxylates (AE). The waste water organisms were exposed principally to ethoxylates, but the alcohols would be generated by the degradation of the ethoxylates. The test substance comprised a 2:1 mixture of two commercial alcohol ethoxylate surfactants with chain lengths of C12-C15 (odd and even numbered) and C16-C18 (even numbered), respectively. The test substance was dosed at a concentration of 4 mg/L in the influent.
Results are shown in Table 3 below:
Table 3Removal of alcohols during an activated sludge test on alcohol ethoxylates.
Alcohol |
Conc in effluent ng/L |
Conc in sludge µg/g |
%removal |
C12 |
18 |
0.6 |
98.6 |
C13 |
21 |
0.7 |
99.5 |
C14 |
5.5 |
0 |
99.6 |
C15 |
2.9 |
1.1 |
99.8 |
C16 |
1.6 |
0.01 |
99.5 |
C18 |
58 |
0.7 |
99.1 |
Total |
130 |
2 |
99.4 |
This shows that most of the alcohol which does not degrade (itself a small amount) was found in the solids in recovery at the end of the study.This study is important in that it indicates that the extent of removal of alcohols is high, from an exposure route that can realistically be anticipated based on the known life cycle.
References:
EU Commission, DGIII, Study on the possible problems for the aquatic environment related to surfactants in detergents, WRc, EC 4294, February, 1997
Flach, F., 2012. Biodegradability in the CO2-evolution test according to OECD 301b (July 1992). Hydrotox laboratory, report number 737, company study number 8571, Sasol, 2 May 2012.
Mudge, S.M, Deleo, P.C., Dyer, S.D. (2012). Quantifying the anthropogenic fraction of fatty alcohols in a terrestrial environment. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 31, No. 6, pp. 1209–1222.
Nuck, B.A. and Federle, T.W. 1996. Batch test for assessing the mineralization of 14C-radiolabeled compounds under realistic anaerobic conditions. Environ. Sci.. 30:12, 3597-3603.
Rorije E, Peunenburg WJGM, Klopman G (1998) Structural requirements for anaerobic biodegradation of organic chemicals: A fragment model analysis. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 17, No. 10, pp. 1943 -1950.
Shelton, D.R. and Tiedje, J.M. 1984. General method for determining anaerobic biodegradation potential. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 850-857.
Steber, J., Herold, C.P. and limia, J.M. 1995. Comparative evaluation of anaerobic biodegradability of hydrocarbons and fatty derivatives currently used as drilling fluids. Chemosphere 31:4, 3105-3118.
Steber, J. and Wierich, P. 1987. The anaerobic degradation of detergent range fatty alcohol ethoxylates. Studies with 14C-labelled model surfactants. Water Research. 21:6, 661-667.
Wind, T., R.J. Stephenson, C.V. Eadsforth, A. Sherren, R. Toy. (2006) Determination of the fate of alcohol ethoxylate homologues in a laboratory continuous activated sludge unit. Ecotox and Environ Safety, 64: 42-60.
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