Registration Dossier

Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets

Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Biodegradation in water and sediment: simulation tests

Currently viewing:

Administrative data

Link to relevant study record(s)

Referenceopen allclose all

Endpoint:
biodegradation in water: sediment simulation testing
Data waiving:
exposure considerations
Justification for data waiving:
the study does not need to be conducted because direct and indirect exposure of sediment is unlikely
Transformation products:
no
Remarks:
Hardly any biodegradation was observed in biodegradation studies; however, given the substance being very volatile it will evaporate to air becoming abiotically degraded there rapidly.
Endpoint:
biodegradation in water: simulation testing on ultimate degradation in surface water
Data waiving:
exposure considerations
Justification for data waiving:
other:
Transformation products:
no
Remarks:
Hardly any biodegradation was observed in biodegradation studies; however, given the substance being very volatile it will evaporate to air becoming abiotically degraded there rapidly.

Description of key information

According to column 2 in Annex IX and X, the choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the results of the chemical safety assessment and may include simulation testing in appropriate media (e.g. water, sediment or soil).

According to the exposure assessments for all uses RCRs for water and sediment are well below 0.1, often below 0.01, without particular risk management measures applied. Therefore, exposure to water and sediment is not considered critical.

Additionally, although diethyl ether is very volatile (vapour pressure 71.6 kPa) it also shows a remarkable solubility in water (64.9 g/L). Nevertheless, diethyl ether is eliminated efficiently from the aqueous compartment into air, where it is oxidised (92 ±6%) to ethyl formate (Wallington, 1991), which may also be a significant process in surface water. Long-term exposure of surface water to diethyl ether is therefore not expected. Exposure to sediment is even more unlikely, as the Koc was estimated being 9.7 only, indicative of very low binding capacity to sediment and organic matter.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information