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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

Additional information

The biodegradability of stearic acid (hydrolysis product of stearoyl chloride) is readily biodegradable based on a weight of evidence approach.

1) Stearic acid is readily biodegradable in a modified respirometric test with activated sludge from a wwtp treating predominantly industrial sewage (EU method, BASF AG, 1983).

2) Sodium stearate was proven to be readily biodegradable in a EU ring test (OECD 301F; Painter & King, 1982). This study record has a low reliability since the original report is not available.

3) Stearic acid was predicted to readily biodegradable based on the BIOWIN (v4.10) model (BASF SE, 2009). All modules of this program predicted a fast biodegradation with the final conclusion of ready biodegradability.

4) Stearic acid was also predicted to be readily biodegradable based on the OASIS Catalogic BOD Kinetic (OECD 301F) model (beta v05.06). The substance is within the application domain of the model. The degradation reached 80% after 28 d.