(6-Bromo-2-pyridinyl)(4-methylphenyl)methanone

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

Administrative data

Endpoint:

biodegradation in water: ready biodegradability

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

Experimental start date 18 September 2018, Experimental completion date 17 October 2018

Reliability:

1 (reliable without restriction)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

guideline study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

study report

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

2018

Report date:

2018

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

according to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 301 B (Ready Biodegradability: CO2 Evolution Test)

Deviations:

yes

Remarks:

Days 5 and 25, temp. in water vessel incubated at test vessel conditions recorded as 24.6 and 25.1 °C. Deviation from Study Plan temp. of 22 ± 2 ºC. Considered no affect to integrity or validity of the study given that all validation criterion were met.

GLP compliance:

yes (incl. QA statement)

Test material

Test material information

1

Reference substance name:

2-bromo-6-(4-methylbenzoyl)pyridine

EC Number:

618-079-0

Cas Number:

87848-95-1

Molecular formula:

C13H10BrNO

IUPAC Name:

2-bromo-6-(4-methylbenzoyl)pyridine

Specific details on test material used for the study:

Identification: 2-Bromo-6-(4-toluoyl)pyridine
CAS Number: 87848-95-1
Batch: 800295520
Purity: 99.5%
Physical State/Appearance: Beige powder
Expiry Date: 03 July 2020
Storage Conditions: Room temperature in the dark

Study design

Oxygen conditions:

aerobic

Inoculum or test system:

activated sludge, domestic (adaptation not specified)

Details on inoculum:

Inoculum
A mixed population of activated sewage sludge micro-organisms was obtained on 17 September 2018 from the aeration stage of the Severn Trent Water Plc sewage treatment plant at Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK, which treats predominantly domestic sewage.

Preparation of Inoculum
The activated sewage sludge sample was washed twice by settlement and re-suspension in mineral medium to remove any excessive amounts of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) that may have been present. The washed sample was then maintained on continuous aeration in the laboratory at a temperature of approximately 21 ºC and used on the day of collection. Determination of the suspended solids level of the activated sewage sludge was carried out by filtering a sample (100 mL) of the washed activated sewage sludge by suction through pre-weighed GF/A filter paper* using a Buchner funnel. Filtration was then continued for a further 3 minutes after rinsing the filter three successive times with 10 mL of deionized reverse osmosis water. The filter paper was then dried in an oven at approximately 105 ºC for at least 1-Hour and allowed to cool before weighing. This process was repeated until a constant weight was attained. The suspended solids concentration was equal to 3.2 g/L prior to use.

Initial test substance concentration

Initial conc.:

17.7 mg/L

Based on:

test mat.

Parameter followed for biodegradation estimation

Parameter followed for biodegradation estimation:

CO2 evolution

Details on study design:

Medium
The mineral medium used in this study was that recommended in the OECD Guidelines.
The deionized reverse osmosis water used for the preparation of the mineral medium and the mineral medium used for the test contained less than 1 mg/L Total Organic Carbon (TOC).

Test Item Preparation
Following preliminary solubility work and the recommendations of the International Standards Organisation (ISO 10634, 1995) and in the published literature (Handley et al, 2002) the test item was dissolved in an auxiliary solvent prior to adsorption onto filter paper*. High shear mixing was also applied to break up the filter paper containing the test item. Using this method the test item is evenly distributed throughout the test medium and the surface area of test item exposed to the test organisms is increased thereby increasing the potential for biodegradation.
A nominal amount of test item (1000 mg) was dissolved in 10 mL of tetrahydrofuran to give a 1000 mg/10 mL solvent stock solution. An aliquot (531 μL) of this solvent stock solution was dispensed onto a filter paper* and the solvent allowed to evaporate to dryness for approximately 15 minutes. The filter paper was dispersed in approximately 400 mL of mineral medium with the aid of high shear mixing (approximately 7500 rpm, 5 minutes) prior to addition to inoculated mineral medium. The volume was then adjusted to 3 liters to give a final concentration of 17.7 mg/L, equivalent to 10 mg carbon/L. The volumetric flask containing the solvent stock solution was inverted several times to ensure homogeneity of the solution.
A filter paper was added to each control vessel in order to maintain consistency between the test and procedure control vessels. Tetrahydrofuran (531 μL) was dispensed onto each filter paper* and evaporated to dryness for approximately 15 minutes. The filter paper was dispersed in approximately 400 mL of mineral medium with the aid of high shear mixing (approximately 7500 rpm, 5 minutes) prior to addition to each vessel.
A test concentration of 10 mg carbon/L was employed in the test following the recommendations of the Test Guidelines.

Reference Item Preparation
A reference item, sodium benzoate (C6H5COONa), was used to prepare the procedure control vessels. An initial stock solution of 1000 mg/L was prepared by dissolving the reference item directly in mineral medium. An aliquot (51.4 mL) of this stock solution was added to the test vessel containing inoculated mineral medium prior to the volume being adjusted to 3 liters to give a final test concentration of 17.1 mg/L, equivalent to 10 mg carbon/L. The volumetric flask containing the reference item was inverted several times to ensure homogeneity of the solution.
A filter paper (Whatman GF/A (70 mm diameter)) was added to each vessel in order to maintain consistency between the test and procedure control vessels. Tetrahydrofuran (531 μL) was dispensed onto each filter paper and evaporated to dryness for approximately 15 minutes. The filter paper was dispersed in approximately 400 mL of mineral medium with the aid of high shear mixing (approximately 7500 rpm, 5 minutes) prior to addition to each vessel.

Toxicity Control
A toxicity control, containing the test item and sodium benzoate, was prepared in order to assess any toxic effect of the test item on the sewage sludge micro-organisms used in the test.
An aliquot (531 μL) of the test item solvent stock solution was dispensed onto a filter paper* and the solvent allowed to evaporate for approximately 15 minutes. The filter paper was dispersed in approximately 400 mL of mineral medium with the aid of high shear mixing (approximately 7500 rpm, 5 minutes) prior to addition to the test vessel containing inoculated mineral medium. An aliquot (51.4 mL) of the sodium benzoate stock solution was also added to the test vessel and the volume was adjusted to 3 liters to give a final concentration of 17.7 mg test item/L plus 17.1 mg sodium benzoate/L equivalent to a total of 20 mg carbon/L.

Preparation of Test System
The following test preparations were prepared and inoculated in 5 liter test culture vessels each containing 3 liters of solution:
a) An inoculated control, in duplicate, consisting of inoculated mineral medium plus a filter paper (Whatman GF/A (70 mm diameter)).
b) The procedure control containing the reference item (sodium benzoate), in duplicate, in inoculated mineral medium plus a filter paper* to give a final concentration of 10 mg carbon/L.
c) The test item on a filter paper (Whatman GF/A (70 mm diameter)), in duplicate, in inoculated mineral medium to give a final concentration of 10 mg carbon/L.
d) The test item on a filter paper (Whatman GF/A (70 mm diameter)) plus the reference item in inoculated mineral medium to give a final concentration of 20 mg carbon/L to act as a toxicity control (one vessel only).
A filter paper with tetrahydrofuran evaporated to dryness was added to the inoculum control and procedure control vessels in order to maintain consistency between these vessels and the test item vessels.
Data from the inoculum control and procedure control vessels was shared with similar concurrent studies.
Each test vessel was inoculated with the prepared inoculum at a final concentration of 30 mg suspended solids (ss)/L. The test was carried out in a temperature controlled room at temperatures of between 22 °C and 25 °C for 28 days, in darkness.
Approximately 24 hours prior to addition of the test and reference items the vessels were filled with 2400 mL of mineral medium and 28.1 mL of inoculum and aerated overnight. On Day 0 the test and reference items were added and the pH of all vessels measured using a Hach HQ40d Flexi handheld meter and the pH was adjusted to pH 7.4 ± 0.2 using diluted hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide solution prior to the volume in all of the vessels being adjusted to 3 liters by the addition of mineral medium which had been purged overnight with CO2-free air. The inoculum control vessels were prepared in a similar manner without the addition of test item or reference item.
The test vessels were sealed and CO2-free air bubbled through the solution at a rate of 30 to 100 mL/minute per vessel and stirred continuously by magnetic stirrer.
The CO2-free air was produced by passing compressed air through a glass column containing self-indicating soda lime (Carbosorb®) granules.
The CO2 produced by degradation was collected in two 500 mL Dreschel bottles containing 350 mL of 0.05 M NaOH. The CO2 absorbing solutions were prepared using purified water.

Reference substance

Reference substance:

benzoic acid, sodium salt

Results and discussion

% Degradation

Key result

Parameter:

% degradation (CO2 evolution)

Value:

5

Sampling time:

28 d

Details on results:

Validation Criteria and Biodegradation
The total CO2 evolution in the inoculum control vessels on Day 28 was 18.13 mg/L and therefore satisfied the validation criterion given in the OECD Test Guidelines.
The IC content of the test item suspension in the mineral medium at the start of the test was below 5% of the TC content and hence satisfied the validation criterion given in the OECD Test Guidelines.
The difference between the values for CO2 production at the end of the test for the replicate vessels was <20% and hence satisfied the validation criterion given in the OECD Test Guidelines.
Acidification of the test vessels on Day 28 followed by the final analyses on Day 29 was conducted according to the methods specified in the Test Guidelines. This acidification effectively kills the micro-organisms present and drives off any dissolved CO2 present in the test vessels. Therefore any additional CO2 detected in the Day 29 samples originated from dissolved CO2 that was present in the test vessels on Day 28 and hence the biodegradation value calculated from the Day 29 analyses is taken as being the final biodegradation value for the test item.
The results of the inorganic carbon analysis of samples from the first absorber vessels on Day 29 showed an increase in all replicate vessels with the exception of inoculum control Replicate 2 and the toxicity control.
The IC analysis of the samples from the second absorber vessels on Day 29 confirmed that no significant carry-over of CO2 into the second absorber vessels occurred.
The test item attained 5% biodegradation after 28 days and therefore cannot be considered to be readily biodegradable under the strict terms and conditions of OECD Guideline No. 301B.
The toxicity control attained 32% biodegradation after 14 days and 34% biodegradation after 28 days thereby confirming that the test item did not exhibit an inhibitory effect on the sewage treatment micro-organisms used in the test.
Sodium benzoate attained 101% biodegradation after 14 days with greater than 60% degradation being attained in a 10-day window. After 28 days 105% biodegradation was attained. Biodegradation values in excess of 100% were considered to be due to sampling/analytical variation.

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Validity criteria fulfilled:

yes

Interpretation of results:

not readily biodegradable

Conclusions:

The test item attained 5% biodegradation after 28 days and therefore cannot be considered to be readily biodegradable under the strict terms and conditions of OECD Guideline No. 301B.