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EC number: 270-298-7 | CAS number: 68424-37-3
- 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
Key value for chemical safety assessment
- Biodegradation in water:
- readily biodegradable
Additional information
The ready biodegradability of fatty acids, C14-22 is assessed in a weight of evidence approach based on the results of the substance on its own and on read across from the key studies of the main constituents as well as on QSAR predictions on ready biodegradability. According to the Substance Identity Profile the representative individual fatty acids are myristic acid (C14), palmitic acid (C16), stearic acid (C18), Eicosanoic acid (C20) and docosanoic acid (C22).
Fatty acids, C14-22 was tested according to ISO 10708 (BODIS test) which is apparently similar to the “closed bottle test”, OECD 301D. Three replicates with fatty acids, C14-22 at a concentration of 100 mg/L ThOD were incubated with non-adapted activated sludge. The oxygen consumption was monitored during the 28 day test period. The results showed that fatty acids, C14-22 was degraded by 40% in average at day 28 (Richterich and Mühlberg, 2001). As described in the study report the insoluble test substance was “weighed on piece of glass […] and directly put into the test flask […]” indicating inhomogeneous distribution of the test substance. Therefore, the moderate biodegradation observed in this test is probably caused by insufficient water solubility/low bioavailability of the test substance. The impact of the low water solubility of some fatty acids on the results of the ready biodegradability tests is also discussed within the framework of the SIDS Initial Assessment Report for the Category “Aliphatic Acids” (OECD, 2009) and judged not to preclude the ready biodegradability of the fatty acids.
In the following the available data of the individual constituents is presented.
No experimental results are available for myristic acid (C14). Reliable results obtained by the QSAR model BIOWIN v.4.10 (EPI Suite, 2010) predicts ready biodegradability for myristic acid. This method is based on the application of Bayesian analysis to ready biodegradation data for chemicals, derived collectively from all six OECD 301 test methods plus OECD 310.
Palmitic
acid (C16) was tested according to the ISO 10708 (BODIS test) which is
apparently similar to the “closed bottle test”, OECD 301 D. Three
replicates with palmitic acid at concentrations of 100 mg/L COD were
incubated with non-adapted activated sludge. The oxygen consumption was
monitored during the 28 day test period. The results clearly showed that
palmitic acid was degraded by 65% in average at day 28 (Börner,1994).
According to the opinion of the SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS on “Compatibility of the ISO standard 10708
(biodegradability test method) with the ultimate biodegradability
requirements imposed through Annex III of Regulation 648/2004 of
Parliament and of the Council”, the BODIS-Test/ISO 10708 shows the same
variability and biodegradation results obtained with other OECD
screening tests (SCHER, 2005). Since the pass criterion of 60%
degradation within 28 days of the ISO 10708 is consistent with those
obtained with the OECD ready biodegradability methods, palmitic acid can
be regarded as readily biodegradable.
The
ready biodegradability of stearic acid (C18, saturated) is assessed on
experimental results as well as on QSAR calculations.
Stearic acid, saturated was tested by Bogers (1989) for ready
biodegradability according to OECD 301B and GLP. At concentrations of 10
and 20 mg/L the determined degradation values were 72% and 71%,
respectively at test termination (28 d). The pass criterion for ready
biodegradability (60% degradation within 10 days once exceeded 10%
degradation) was barely missed. However, the sampling interval was not
as narrow as recommended by the OECD guideline (sampling every second
day, followed by sampling every fifth day), which might have led to the
marginal failure of the 10-day window.
The failure of the 10-day window in biodegradation tests due to low
water solubility/bioavailability as well as to the inappropriate
sampling intervals were already recognized and discussed within the
framework of the SIDS Initial Assessment Report for the Category
“Aliphatic Acids” (OECD, 2009) and judged not to preclude the ready
biodegradability of the fatty acids.
Reliable results of the QSAR model BIOWIN v.4.10 (EPI Suite, 2010)
predicts ready biodegradability for stearic acid. Thus, it can be
concluded that stearic acid is readily biodegradable.
Coenen
(1991) conducted a GLP study according to OECD 301B. After 28 days 93%
and 75% of oleic acid (C18’) was biodegraded at concentrations of 10
mg/L and 20 mg/L, respectively und thus passed the 60% degradation
level. Furthermore, at the lower concentration of 10 mg/L the 10-day
window was met. According to the criteria for ready biodegradation oleic
acid (9-Octadecenoic acid, (Z)-) is readily biodegradable. Since the
reference substance itself failed the pass criterion for validity (60%
degradation was not reached within 14 d), the study should had been
repeated.
The ready biodegradability of oleic acid is supported by the QSAR
calculation BIOWIN v.4.10 (EPI Suite, 2010) clearly predicting the
substance as readily biodegradable.
Eicosanoic
acid (C20) and docosanoic acid (C22) both are predicted to be readily
biodegradable according to the QSAR model BIOWIN v.4.10 (EPI Suite,
2010).
These results are consistent with experimental results published in the
HERA Report for a mixture of C20-C22 aliphatic acids tested according to
OECD 301D. An overall degradation rate of 89% as well as ready
biodegradation was stated for the mixture of C20-C22 aliphatic acids in
the HERA report (a reliability score of 1 is given for the results).
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