Registration Dossier
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EC number: 255-449-7 | CAS number: 41583-09-9
- 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 soil
Administrative data
- Endpoint:
- biodegradation in soil
- Type of information:
- experimental study
- Adequacy of study:
- supporting study
- Reliability:
- 2 (reliable with restrictions)
- Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
- other: Publication, which meets basic scientific principles, but which is rather old and not well described.
Data source
Referenceopen allclose all
- Reference Type:
- publication
- Title:
- Nitrification of Triazine Nitrogen
- Author:
- Hauck RD, Stephenson HF
- Year:
- 1 964
- Bibliographic source:
- Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 12, 147-151
- Reference Type:
- secondary source
- Title:
- Unnamed
- Year:
- 1 983
Materials and methods
- Principles of method if other than guideline:
- Nitrification of triazine nitrogen.
- GLP compliance:
- not specified
- Test type:
- laboratory
Test material
- Reference substance name:
- Melamine
- EC Number:
- 203-615-4
- EC Name:
- Melamine
- Cas Number:
- 108-78-1
- Molecular formula:
- C3H6N6
- IUPAC Name:
- 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine
- Details on test material:
- Melamine (N-content: 66.5 %), reagent grade.
and also Cyanuric acid (N: 32.4 %), ammelide (N: 43.7 %), ammeline (N: 49.4 %), and urea (N: 46.1 %) were tested.
Melamine was obtained from American Cyanamid Co.
Additionally different mixtures were processed: Melamine Phosphate, Melamine Nitrate, Melamine phosphoric acid, Melamine nitric acid, Melamine ferric ammonium sulfate, Melamine copper sulfate, Melamine cadmium sulfate.
Constituent 1
Study design
- Oxygen conditions:
- aerobic
- Soil classification:
- not specified
Soil propertiesopen allclose all
- Soil no.:
- #1
- Soil type:
- silty clay loam
- pH:
- 8.2
- Soil no.:
- #2
- Soil type:
- sandy loam
- pH:
- 5.2
- Details on soil characteristics:
- Two soils were used: Webster silty clay loam (Iowa) pH 8.2; and Hartsells fine sandy loam (Alabama) pH 5.2
Duration of test (contact time)open allclose all
- Soil No.:
- #1
- Duration:
- 28 wk
- Soil No.:
- #2
- Duration:
- 24 wk
Initial test substance concentrationopen allclose all
- Soil No.:
- #1
- Initial conc.:
- 2 000 mg/kg soil d.w.
- Based on:
- test mat.
- Soil No.:
- #1
- Initial conc.:
- 230 mg/kg soil d.w.
- Based on:
- test mat.
- Soil No.:
- #2
- Initial conc.:
- 230 mg/kg soil d.w.
- Based on:
- test mat.
- Parameter followed for biodegradation estimation:
- other: Nitrification
Experimental conditionsopen allclose all
- Soil No.:
- #1
- Temp.:
- 32 °C
- Humidity:
- 60 %
- Soil No.:
- #2
- Temp.:
- 32 °C
- Humidity:
- 60 %
- Details on experimental conditions:
- Different experiments were performed. All materials were added as granules or prills screened to pass -8+12 mesh.
Incubation experiment: up to 28 wk, 32 °C.
Experiment 1: Duplicate samples of about 200 mg test material, mixed with 100 g soil No. #1;
Experiment 2: 7.0 mg of triazine (or urea) N were added as solid or in solution to 30 g soil #1, or same concentration was added as solid to soil #2.
Experiment 3: 3 rates of N (7, 14, 21 mg) as melamine were incubated in 30 g of soil No. #1 for 24 hours
Perfusion experiments were performed to study the nitrification of triazines and their effects on the oxidation of added ammonium.
Dilute solutions of triazines (10 mg N as melamine or cyanuric acid alone, or supplemented with with 10 mg N of NH4) were continuously circulated in a well aerated closed system, the triazine solution passing through 30 g of Krilium-treated soil No. #1 at 25 °C, for up to 165 d. Treatment consisted of mixing a 0.1 % aqueous solution of Krilium with soil to form a thick slurry, followed by drying and granulation. Samples of pot solution were taken at weekly intervals for nitrite and nitrate analysis.
Results and discussion
% Degradationopen allclose all
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 0.7
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; % of organic N, found as NO3- N; granules.
- Sampling time:
- 10 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 0
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; granules.
- Sampling time:
- 28 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 6.4
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; solution
- Sampling time:
- 6 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 9.1
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; solution
- Sampling time:
- 12 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 10.5
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; solution
- Sampling time:
- 18 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 13.7
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; solution
- Sampling time:
- 24 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 7.7
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 6 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 9.1
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 12 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 15.4
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 18 wk
- Soil No.:
- #1
- % Degr.:
- 17.9
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 24 wk
- Soil No.:
- #2
- % Degr.:
- 0
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 6 wk
- Soil No.:
- #2
- % Degr.:
- 0
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 12 wk
- Soil No.:
- #2
- % Degr.:
- 3.9
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 18 wk
- Soil No.:
- #2
- % Degr.:
- 8.9
- Parameter:
- other: nitrification; powder
- Sampling time:
- 24 wk
Half-life / dissipation time of parent compound
- DT50:
- > 2 - < 3 yr
- Type:
- other: estimated by ECETOC.
- Transformation products:
- no
Identity of transformation productsopen allclose all
- No.:
- #1
Reference
- Reference substance name:
- Unnamed
- IUPAC name:
- nitrate
- Identifier:
- common name
- Identity:
- nitrate
- No.:
- #2
Reference
- Reference substance name:
- Unnamed
- IUPAC name:
- nitrate
- Identifier:
- common name
- Identity:
- nitrate
- Evaporation of parent compound:
- no
- Volatile metabolites:
- no
- Details on results:
- Experiment 1: The extent of nitrate formation from melamine was low (0.7 % of organic N found as NO3-N in week 10, and 0 % in week 28). The extent of nitrate formation increased from melamine to cyanuric acid, that is with decreasing amination of the triazine. Nitrification of cyanuric acid was 35 % at week 10 and 73 % at week 28.
Experiment 2: The extent of nitrate formation increased in both soils inversely with the degree of amination of cyanuric acid.
Powdered Melamine and cyanuric acid nitrified to a slightly greater degree than solutions of these materials.
Both powders and solutions of melamine (and cyanuric acid) nitrified to a much greater extent than the -8+12 mesh granules used in experiment 1 in the same soil and under similar conditions.
In experiment 3, three rates of nitrogen of melamine were incubated in 30 g soil #1 for 24 h. The % of the total N which was recovered as nitrate decreased with increasing rates of application, being 17.9, 7.0 and 4.2 % of the 7, 14, and 21 mg rates of nitrogen of melamine, respectively; and 92.2, 91.5 and 85.5 % of the same rates for cyanuric acid.
Further experiment on the inhibition of of nitrification of added ammonium by cyanuric acid: Cyanuric acidcan inhibit the nitrification under not clearly described circumstances.
Melamine (and cyanuric acid) perfusing with added ammonium slightly delayed the nitrification of ammonium by ca. 2 days.
Melamine and cyanuric acid perfusing without added ammonium degraded at a slow but constant rate for about 4 wk, after which time nitrate assimilation in the perfusion system occurred faster than nitrate production. After 46 d, a maximum of 14 and 9.8 % of N apparently originating from Melamine and cyanuric acid, respectively, was found as nitrate.
Melamine solutions (ca. 490 mg melamine/ kg soil) perfusing through soil slightly delayed the rate of nitrate formation from added ammonium, and caused a marked but temporary accumulation of nitrite.
The biochemical degradation of melamine proceeds at a very slow rate in soils.
Applicant's summary and conclusion
- Conclusions:
- Nitrification of melamine occurrs in soil at a low rate.
Melamine solutions (ca. 490 mg melamine/ kg soil) perfusing through soil slightly delayed the rate of nitrate formation from added ammonium, and caused a marked but temporary accumulation of nitrite. - Executive summary:
Nitrification of N released from cyanuric acid, ammelide, ammeline, or melamine varied inversely with the number of amino groups on the triazine ring. Nitrification of melamine and cyanuric acid from powders was slightly greater than from solutions and considerably greater than from granules of these materials. Melamine solutions perfusing through soil slightly inhibited the rate of nitrate formation from added ammonium, and caused a marked temporary accumulation of nitrite.
More nitrate was produced from triazine incubated in soil bottle cultures than from triazine perfusing through soil.
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