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Environmental fate & pathways

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

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Description of key information

At 2,00 mg/l the Biodegradability is 79% within 28 days
At 0,84 mg/l the Biodegradability is 92% within 28 days

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Biodegradation in water:
readily biodegradable

Additional information

The biodegradability of L-menthol has been determined in a Closed Bottle test (OECD 301D). Menthol L Dist was biodegraded to at least 79% within 28 days of incubation at the tested concentration of 2,00 mg/L. At lower concentration of 0,84 mg/L a maximum percentage of 93% biodegradation was reached after 21 days. Menthol L. Dist. passed the criteria given in the guidelines (i.e. > 60% degradation reached within 10 days period counting from the day that the level of degradation exceeded 10%), and is therefore assessed to be readily biodegradable in this test.

Furthermore, as supporting study, a Closed Bottle Test with read-across substance D-Menthol (CAS 15356 -60 -2) comes to nearly the same results. At a concentration of 0.84 mg/L a biodegradation of 92% after 28 days was found and at a concentration of 2 mg/L the biodegradation after 28 days was 76%. Therefore it can be concluded that L-Menthol is readily biodegradable.

A second experiment with L-Menthol according to EU method C.4 -B (modified OECD screening test) showed as well a high biodegradation rate (100% biodegradation within 28 days). No information on possible volatilisation and/or adsorption is available. Therefore, it cannot be excluded that a significant amount of L-Menthol was removed from the test system by this process and the test is regarded as not reliable.