Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 200-875-0 | CAS number: 75-50-3
Biodegradation in water: screening tests
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
Trimethylamine is readily biodegradable (according to OECD criteria).
Key value for chemical safety assessment
- Biodegradation in water:
- readily biodegradable
Additional information
Two ready biodegradablility tests according to OECD criteria were performed and in both cases trimethylamine was found to be degradable. A test was conducted by Chemicals Inspection & Testing Institute Japan (1992) (*) according to OECD guideline 301C, whereby 92 % of test substance was degraded after 14 days. This result is based on the O2 consumption by activated sludge and was selected as key data.
Industrial sludge was used by BASF AG (1980) in an experiment according to OECD guideline 301F. More than 70 % degradation of test substance has had occured after 8 days supporting the findings of the key study.
(*) http://www.safe.nite.go.jp/jcheck/template.action?ano=16916&mno=2-0140&cno=75-50-3&request_locale=en
Further supporting data are available:
- Chudoba revealed in 1969 that within 13 days a degradation of 77 % occured.
- In addition, Ayanaba and Alexander conducted several experiments in 1974. Added trimethylamine is converted to dimethylamine in samples of raw sewage and lake water, and the secondary amine thus formed or added dimethylamine disappears with time (Ayanaba and Alexander, 1974). The rates of formation and disappearance of dimethylamine are governed by the pH and the type and amount of inorganic N present. Ammonium is generated from both of the amines. Dimethylnitrosamine, a potent carcinogen, is formed in small amounts in samples of sewage and lake water receiving dimethylamine and nitrite, the maximum nitrosamine level detected rising with increasing acidity and increasing dimethylamine and nitrite concentrations. Dimethylnitrosamine also appears in sewage and lake water samples receiving trimethylamine. Microorganisms are involved in some stage of the conversion of the tertiary amine to the secondary amine and dimethylnitrosamine in sewage because these products are not found in sterilized sewage. The fungicide thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide) is converted to dimethylamine in sterilized sewage at pH 4.0, and small amounts of dimethylnitrosamine are also produced in the presence of nitrite; the yields of both products are far greater in nonsterile, thiram-amended sewage. The identification of dimethylnitrosamine was verified by thin-layer and gas chromatography, ultraviolet and infrared spectrometry, and combined gas chromatrophy-mass spectrometry.
- Moreover, the following results were obtained from the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (2010) for the test substance trimethylamine: BOD (NO2) = 66 % degradation / BOD (NH3) = 92 % degradation / TOC = 100 % degradation / GC = 100 % degradation.
- Additionally, a Theoretical COD (g/g) of 2.40 was determined for Trimethylamine by Matsumoto (1984). The BOD for Trimethylamine was determined to be 0.083 and adegradation of 3.47 % was found. However, no further details are given as result, even no sampling time.
In conclusion, trimethylamine is regarded as readily biodegradable (according to OECD criteria).
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