Registration Dossier

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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Administrative data

Description of key information

Additional information

The data set for the category member Fatty Acids regards biodegradation includes standard biodegradation studies as well as data obtained by QSAR. As summarized in the category justification, the member of the fatty acid category demonstrates ready biodegradability. The vast majority of the experimental results revealed ready biodegradability which was supported by reliable QSAR predictions. In some cases insufficient sampling points were available to determine whether or not the 10-day window was met. Studies in which the 10-day window was not met likely did not ensure that the fatty acids tested were fully in solution. According to the ECHAs Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment (Chapter R.7b: Endpoint specific guidance, 2008) the screening tests on ready biodegradation sometimes fail because of the stringent test conditions, in general, and the differences among the individual tests in terms of their stringency. Therefore, consistent positive test results should generally supersede negative results. In conclusion, aliphatic fatty acids comprising C8-C22 carbon chain length are judged to be readily biodegradable. This judgment is consistent with the hazard assessment presented in the OECD SIDS (2009) for the category “Aliphatic Acids Category” where aliphatic fatty acids with a carbon chain length in the range of C8 – C22 also were judged to be readily biodegradable.