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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.

The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.

Diss Factsheets

Environmental fate & pathways

Endpoint summary

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Administrative data

Description of key information

Additional information

Data is available from standard ready biodegradation screening studies to demonstrate that benzene is readily biodegradable. Shell (2000) and Brixham Environmental Laboratory (2001) both report results from OECD 301F tests which showed that benzene met the criteria to be classed as readily biodegradable. This was also the conclusion reached in the EU RAR for benzene (2008).

One of the screening criteria for persistence in the PBT assessment is that if a substance is considered to be readily biodegradable the substance is screened as being not P and not vP. Experimental data from standard biodegradation screening tests are available for benzene. The data indicate that benzene can be considered readily biodegradable (Shell, 2000). Therefore, based on the screening criteria for persistence stipulated in ECHA’s Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment - Part C: PBT Assessment (2008c) benzene is not considered to be persistent (P) or very persistent (vP).