Registration Dossier

Diss Factsheets

Administrative data

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC aqua (freshwater)
PNEC value:
0.19 mg/L
Assessment factor:
1 000
Extrapolation method:
assessment factor
PNEC freshwater (intermittent releases):
1.9 mg/L

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC aqua (marine water)
PNEC value:
0.019 mg/L
Assessment factor:
10 000
Extrapolation method:
assessment factor

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no emission to STP expected

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC sediment (freshwater)
PNEC value:
191.6 mg/kg sediment dw
Extrapolation method:
equilibrium partitioning method

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC sediment (marine water)
PNEC value:
19.2 mg/kg sediment dw
Extrapolation method:
equilibrium partitioning method

Hazard for air

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC soil
PNEC value:
17.96 mg/kg soil dw
Assessment factor:
100
Extrapolation method:
assessment factor

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no potential for bioaccumulation

Additional information

As no toxic effect has been observed in all the tests performed on Zirconium compounds, only unbound PNEC value could be derived. There are clearly overestimating the hazard that may present Zirconium Tetrachloride substance to aquatic, benthic or terrestrial organisms. However, for the purpose of REACH and Chemical Safety Assessment, they will be considered in this dossier as conservative PNEC. Nevertheless, it should be noted that in the Chemical Safety Assessment, as all Predicted Environmental Concentrations are expressed in terms of Zr (no speciation possible) the following equivalent PNEC expressed in Zr are used to characterize the risk arising form ZrCl4 manufacturing and use:

PNECfreshwater > 0.074 mgZr/L

PNECmarine_water > 0.0074 mgZr/L

PNECsediment_freshwater > 66.1 mgZr/kgww

PNECsediment_marine_water > 6.61 mgZr/kgww

PNECsoil > 6.23 mgZr/kgww

Conclusion on classification

For ZrCl4, no Acute 1/Chronic 1, 2, 3 classification category under CLP is proposed as no acute toxicity was observed to aquatic organisms at loading rate > 100 mg/L. Furthermore, as the main degradation product ZrO2 is insoluble in water, no chronic toxicity is expected for aquatic organisms as the substance will not be bioavailable.

Therefore, there is no need for an environmental classification of ZrCl4.