Aluminium triisopropanolate

Long-term toxicity to fish

Link to relevant study record(s)

Reference

Reference 1

Endpoint:

fish, juvenile growth test

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

weight of evidence

Study period:

no data

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

test procedure in accordance with national standard methods with acceptable restrictions

Remarks:

the infomation in the publication is limited to the information made available in this summary

Qualifier:

equivalent or similar to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 215 (Fish, Juvenile Growth Test)

Principles of method if other than guideline:

design seems similar to OECD 215

GLP compliance:

no

Specific details on test material used for the study:

Aluminium content 20.24%

Analytical monitoring:

yes

Details on sampling:

on day 30 100 mL samples preseverd with nitric acid for total aluminium and 250 mL samples filtered through anion exchange column ((Dowex 50, 20-50 mesh, sodium form) for measurement of organic aluminium

Vehicle:

no

Details on test solutions:

stock solutions in deionized water

Test organisms (species):

Salmo salar

Details on test organisms:

TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: Atlantic salmon
- Source: Craig Brooke National Fish Hatchery, Orono, Maine, USA
- Age at study initiation: alevins (sac fry)
- Length/weight at study initiation: no data
- Food type: commercial salmon diet (Bioproducts inc) ad libitum + twice daily brine shrimp nauplii
- Maintenance of the brood fish: in well water (500 mg/L CaCO3 at pH 7.2)

ACCLIMATION
- Acclimation period: 3 days
- Acclimation conditions: similar to test conditions
- Type and amount of food during acclimation: no data
- Health during acclimation (any mortality observed): no data

Test type:

flow-through

Water media type:

freshwater

Limit test:

yes

Total exposure duration:

30 d

Hardness:

8.6-8.9 mg/L as CaCO3

Test temperature:

12 ± 2 °C

pH:

5.5 and 6.5 (two separate tests) adjusted with sulfuric acid

Dissolved oxygen:

no data (accurately maintained through aeration)

Conductivity:

3.3 umhos/com

Nominal and measured concentrations:

nominal 0 and 200 ug/L (as Al)
measured: 1 and 79 ug/L (as Al) at pH 5.5; 2 and 222 ug/L (as Al) at pH 6.5

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test vessel: aquaria with 3 chambers (23 L and two of 11.4 L)
- Aeration: yes
- Flow through system: proportial dilution:
- No. of organisms per vessel: 100 (60 in 23 L chamber for histopathology of the gills, 20 in each 11.4 L chambers for growth measurements)
- No. of vessels per concentration (replicates): 2
- No. of vessels per control (replicates): 2

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED: mortality daily; weight and length at the end of the test

TEST CONCENTRATIONS: 0 and 200 ug/L (as Al)

TEST MEDIUM / WATER PARAMETERS
- Source/preparation of dilution water: deionized water
- Total organic carbon: no data
- Alkalinity: 4.7 and 46.1 u-equi/L at pH 5.5 and 6.5 resp,
- Ca/mg ratio: no data
- Culture medium different from test medium: yes
- Intervals of water quality measurement: measured but no intervals mentiond

OTHER TEST CONDITIONS
- Adjustment of pH: yes
- Photoperiod: to simulate April conditions in Maine

Key result

Duration:

30 d

Dose descriptor:

LOEC

Effect conc.:

200 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

element (total fraction)

Basis for effect:

growth rate

Remarks on result:

other: at both pHs based on length, weight and general condition

Key result

Duration:

30 d

Dose descriptor:

LOEC

Effect conc.:

47 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (not specified)

Conc. based on:

other: ionic Al

Basis for effect:

growth rate

Remarks on result:

other: at pH 5.5 based on effects on length, weight and general condition

Key result

Duration:

30 d

Dose descriptor:

LOEC

Effect conc.:

30 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (not specified)

Conc. based on:

other: aluminium hydroxides

Basis for effect:

growth rate

Remarks on result:

other: at pH 5.5 effects on weight, length and general behaviour

Key result

Duration:

30 d

Dose descriptor:

LOEC

Effect conc.:

3 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (not specified)

Conc. based on:

other: Al inoised

Basis for effect:

growth rate

Remarks on result:

other: at pH 6.5 based on effects on weight, length and general behaviour

Key result

Duration:

30 d

Dose descriptor:

LOEC

Effect conc.:

118 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (not specified)

Conc. based on:

other: aluminium hydroxides

Basis for effect:

growth rate

Remarks on result:

other: at pH 6.5 based on effects on weight, length and general behaviour

Details on results:

Mortality at pH 5.5 on day 30 was about 20% at in controls and at 200 ug/L
Mortality at pH 6.5 on day 30 was 3.5% and 4.5% in controls and at 200 ug/L

At both pH values effects on the gills were observed
at pH 6.5: thickening of gill filaments and secondary lamellae
at pH 5.5: swelling of gill epithelial cells and wrinkled appearance of the filaments and reduction of the lamellae

Reported statistics and error estimates:

ANOVA

Conclusions:

The LOEC in a fish study with AlCl3 was 200 ug/l (as Al)

Reference 2

Endpoint:

fish early-life stage toxicity

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

comparable to guideline study with acceptable restrictions

Qualifier:

equivalent or similar to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 210 (Fish, Early-Life Stage Toxicity Test)

GLP compliance:

no

Specific details on test material used for the study:

purity 98%
Aluminium content 8.56%

Analytical monitoring:

yes

Details on sampling:

Weekly from all concentrations
Samples were analysed as such or after filtration (0.1 um filter)
total Al acidified unfiltered (2/concentration/week)
total Al acidified filtered (2/concentration/week)
extractable Al filtered (2/concentration/week)
extractable Al unfiltered (3-4/concentration/week)

Vehicle:

no

Details on test solutions:

stock solutions were prepared in reverse osmosis water

Test organisms (species):

Salvelinus fontinalis

Details on test organisms:

TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: brook trout
- Source (eggs): eyed eggs from Beity's Resort Valley Washington
- Subsequent handling of eggs: maintained over night at pH 7.2 at 12°C

POST-HATCH FEEDING: no data

FEEDING DURING TEST: no data

Test type:

flow-through

Water media type:

freshwater

Limit test:

no

Total exposure duration:

60 d

Remarks on exposure duration:

exposure during egg, alevin, fry and fingerling stages

Hardness:

245-256 mg/L as CaCO3

Test temperature:

12°C

pH:

test at pH 5.5: 5.6-5.7
test at pH 6.5: 6.5-6.6

Dissolved oxygen:

no data

Nominal and measured concentrations:

test at pH 5.5 as total Al: 8 (control), 29, 68 ,142 and 292 ug/L; as complexed with OH solid: 0, 11, 50, 121 and 271 ug/L; as complexed with OH soluble:7 (control), 17, 17, 20 and 20 ug/L
test at pH 6.5 as total Al: 4 (control), 57, 88, 169 and 350 ug/L; as complexed with OH solid: 0, 35, 64, 145 and 332 ug/L; as complexed with OH soluble:4 (control), 21, 23, 24 and 18 ug/L

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test vessel: tank (size not indicated containing 4 177 mL glass hatching containers and after hatching 2 growth containers
- Aeration: no data
- Type of flow-through: proportional diluter
- No. of organisms per vessel: 50 eggs/hatching container; 20 larvae in growth containers, remaining larvae in main compartment of the tank
- No. of vessels per control (replicates): 2
- No. of vessels per treatment (replicates): 2
- Biomass loading rate: no data

TEST MEDIUM / WATER PARAMETERS
- Source/preparation of dilution water: reverse osmosis water
- Total organic carbon: both pH values 2.1 mg/L
- Alkalinity: at pH 5.5 9-14 mg/L as ueq/L; at pH 6.5 67-73 ueq/L
- Ca: both pH values : 3.2-3.3 mg/L:
- Intervals of water quality measurement: once during both the first and the second 30 days

OTHER TEST CONDITIONS
- Adjustment of pH: yes to either 5.5 or 6.5
- Photoperiod: no data

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED (with observation intervals if applicable) :
- mortality daily
- length (on fish in growth containers) on day 15, 30, 45 and 60 (photograph)
- weight derived from length on day 45 and 60
- behavioural effects (locomotor activity, prey feeding, swimming capacity and buoyancy)on 10/duplicate fish at day 30 and 60
- whole body DNA and RNA on day 15 and 30
- whole body aluminium on 10 fish/duplicate on day 15 and on 5 fish/duplicate on day 15, 30, 45

Reference substance (positive control):

not required

Remarks:

in both tests an additional control at pH 7.2 was included

Duration:

60 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

142 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (TWA)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

total Al

Basis for effect:

other: locomotor, prey feeding, fry mortality, length

Remarks on result:

other: test at pH 5.5

Remarks:

result after 30 days see attached table

Duration:

60 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

29 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (TWA)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

as total Al

Basis for effect:

other: swimming capacity

Remarks on result:

other: test at pH 5.5

Remarks:

result after 30 days see attached table

Duration:

30 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

8 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (TWA)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

as total Al

Basis for effect:

other: incomplete hatch

Remarks on result:

other: test at pH 5.5

Remarks:

the NOEC is the control value effect shows dose response versus total Al

Duration:

60 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

169 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (TWA)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

as total Al

Basis for effect:

mortality

Remarks:

fry mortality

Remarks on result:

other: test at pH 6.5

Remarks:

results after 30 days see attached table

Duration:

60 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

88 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (TWA)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

as total Al

Basis for effect:

length

Remarks:

and weight

Remarks on result:

other: test at pH 6.5

Remarks:

results after 30 days see attached table

Duration:

30 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

57 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (TWA)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

as total Al

Basis for effect:

other: incomplete hatching

Remarks on result:

other: test at pH 6.5

Remarks:

dose-response versus total Al

Details on results:

For other effects after 60 days the NOEC was 292 ug/L at pH 5.5 and 350 ug/L at pH 6.5
Effect concentrations after 30 days differed from those at 60 days (see table as attached)
Effects with a clear dose response (versus total Al and complexed with OH solids):
at 30 day observation incomplete hatching, locomotor activity, prey feeding,
at 60 day observation: none

Results with reference substance (positive control):

SAS programs were used to determine any significance

Conclusions:

The NOEC for mortality and growth effects is 141-167 ug/L
The NOEC for inconmplete hatching is 57 ug/L

Description of key information

Aluminium tri-isopropanolate dissociates instantaneously when exposed to water forming isopropanol and aluminium(III) species. Therefore the effects of both hydrolysis products are considered most relevant to assess the toxicity of aluminium tri-isopropanolate

In a test with eggs of the brook trout, the effects of aluminium could not be clearly related to total aluminium or the soluble fraction. The NOEC for increased mortality and reduced growth is 142 -169 µg/L (as total Al), while the NOEC for incomplete hatching was 57 µg/L (as total Al). The last effect shows a clear dependence on pH. The reported NOEC values are at pH 6.5 (Cleveland 1989).

The toxicity of the Aluminium chloride, which is a very soluble substance, seems mainly related to the presence of ionised aluminium and aluminium hydroxides. The LOEC in Salmo salar with AlCl3 was 200 µg/l (as Al)(Hamilton 1995).

The exposure of zebrafish eggs to aluminium oxide nano particles lead to a 96 hour LC50 of > 800 mg/L. No effects on mortality, malformations and hatching time was observed (Kovriznych 2013)

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water fish

Fresh water fish

Effect concentration:

57 µg/L

Additional information

No long-term studies on isopropanol are available. Based on the very low toxicity of isopropanol in acute studies and the much higher toxicity of aluminium species, the absence of these data will not affect the risk assessment, which will be based on aluminium toxicity.