Triethyl citrate

Endpoint summary

Additional information

Short-term toxicity data

Experimental acute toxicity results of triethyl citrate are available for aquatic invertebrates (Boettcher and Wydra, 2010) and aquatic algae (Boettcher and Wydra, 2010). The short-term toxicity to fish was predicted by means of ECOSAR v1.00 (EPIWIN prediction, by US-EPA), using the SAR for esters.

In a limit 48 -hour immobilisation test under static conditions, Daphnia magna was used as test organism. The experiment was conducted according to OECD Guideline 202 and EU Method C.2. The test concentration was chosen as 100 mg/L, whereby no immobilisation was recorded after the maximum exposure time. Therefore, the NOEC(48h) was determined to be equal or greater than 100 mg/L. LOEC and LC50 values are greater than 100 mg/L.

The freshwater green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata was used as test organism in a toxicity experiment according to OECD Guideline 201 and EU Method C.3. A limit test was conducted with a substance concentration of 100 mg/L. Concerning growth rate and biomass, the NOEC and LOEC values were determined to be at least 100 mg/L after an exposure period of 72 h. The NOEC values might even be higher than this concentration, but concentrations in excess of nominal 100 mg test item/L or the limit of solubility have not been tested according to the recommendations of the test guidelines. The EC50 values, concerning both effect bases, were clearly higher than 100 mg/L. No toxic effects against algae were observed at the limit of water solubility under these test conditions.

The short-term toxicity to fish was predicted by ECOSAR v1.00, which resulted in a LC50(96h) of 112.02 mg/L, concerning SAR for ester. The experimentally determined water solubility of the substance (58.1 g/L, Villa, 2011) as well as the logPow of 1.17 (Villa, 2011) were used as input.

Long-term toxicity data

No chronic investigations were performed regarding toxicity towards aquatic biota for triethyl citrate. Taken into account the available experimental results, the substance can be considered to be rapidly degraded in the aquatic environment and the bioaccumulation potential is low. With respect to animal welfare, no long-term study is intended in accordance with REACH Regulation.

Toxicity to aquatic microorganisms

Since the substance was found to be readily biodegradable (Feil, 2010), no activated sludge respiration inhibition test needs to be conducted in accordance with REACH, Annex VIII, Section 9.1.4, Column 2. Furthermore, in the toxicity control of the biodegradation test conducted according to OECD Guideline 301 F no inhibition of the activated sludge was observed and the PNEC STP can be calculated with the help of the applied test concentration (Guidance from ECHA, Chapter R.10, Part R.10.4.2, 2008).