Silicic acid, lithium salt

Endpoint summary

Additional information

Silicic acid, lithium salt is an inorganic solid, in water its lithium component is dissolved while the silica component stays undissolved. Due to its chemical nature and stability, hydrolysis is not expected. However, ion exchange processes are possible depending on the surrounding environment to transfer the substance in another, as very limited, not quantifiable hydrolysis is involved in the dissolution of silicates in water. It is limited to a gel-layer surrounding the silicate particle in aqueous medium. This layer is in equilibrium with the outer aqueous phase and constitutes a diffusion barrier for ions and water.

Based on the chemical nature, inorganic structure and chemical stability of silicic acid, lithium salt, phototransformation in air, water and soil is not expected. For the same reasons, biodegradation in water, sediment or soil is not applicable as environmental fate process.

Silicic acid, lithium salt is an inorganic solid insoluble in n-octanol. Due to its inherent chemico-physical properties, bioaccumulation is not expected. Besides, as only the lithium component of the substance is readily dissolved while the silica component remains rather undissolved, low concentrations are expected in the aquatic compartment. Low quantities which might be taken up are considered to be not bioavailable as absorbed Li and Si levels are known to be rapidly excreted in urine and faeces. Thus, silicic acid, lithium salt contains no bioaccumulation potential.

If released into the environment, the substance is expected to combine indistinguishably with the soil or sediment due to its similarity with inorganic soil/sediment matter and will be subjected to natural processes under environmental conditions (cation exchange, dissolution, sedimentation). Due to the low vapour pressure, volatilisation is not expected. It is expected to distribute mainly into soils and sediments, weakly into water and probably not at all into the air.