Fatty acids, C16 and C18-20 (even numbered, unsaturated), 2-ethylhexyl esters

Categories

Category name:

Epoxidised Oil Derivatives

Justifications and discussions

Category rationale:

The EODs are considered a category for purposes of environmental and health hazard screening assessments because of the similarities in metabolism (uptake results in rapid metabolism by esterases) of these materials in microbial, aquatic and mammalian systems. Carboxylesterases have been demonstrated to be present in many families of fish and aquatic invertebrates as well as mammals. The action of the esterase will result in a mixture of epoxidized fatty acids and 2-ethylhexanol from ETP. The similarity of the epoxidized fatty acids which are the primary constituents of the metabolic products of the EOD materials make it possible to use the data of representative materials within this category to assess the potential hazards across the category. In mammalian species these materials are expected to be absorbed and metabolized in a similar fashion, resulting in the release of similar free epoxidized fatty acids and lesser substituted alcohols or glycerides.