Fatty acids, lanolin, esters with cholesterol-low lanolin alcs.

Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates

Description of key information

A GLP study according to OECD 211 is available for Lanolin alcohol (Harris 2013). Due to the low aqueous solubility and complex nature of the test item, Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF) were prepared. Based on the results of a preliminary range-finding test, Daphnia magna were exposed (10 replicates of a single daphnid per group) to a Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF) of the test item at single nominal loading rate of 100 mg/L for a period of 21 days. Analysis of the 100 mg/L loading rate WAF on days 0, 5, 14, 16 and 19 (fresh media) showed measured concentrations to range from 0.018 to 0.054 mg/L. A decline in measured concentration was observed in the corresponding old media on days 2, 7, 16, 19 and 21 to between less than the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the analytical method employed, which was determined to be 0.0098 mg/L and 0.017 mg/L. Given that the toxicity cannot be attributed to a single component or a mixture of components, but to the test item as a whole, the results were based on the nominal loading rate only. The "No Observed Effect Loading Rate" (NOEL) was 100 mg/L loading rate WAF as there were no significant mortalities (immobilization) observed in the parental generation (P1) and there were no significant differences (P≥0.05) in terms of the number of live young produced per adult when compared to the control after 21 days.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water invertebrates

Fresh water invertebrates

Effect concentration:

100 mg/L

Additional information

No studies on the ester of lanolin alcohols and fatty acids are available. As the substance can be hydrolysed abiotically and is expected to be hydrolysed by esterases, the toxicity of the hydrolysis products lanolin alcohol  is representative for the toxicity of the substance.