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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

 

Environmental summary for Dimethyl Carbonate

 

 

Parameters

State

Liquid

Molecular weight

90.08 g/mol

Melting point

4.65°C

Boiling point

90.35°C

Vapour pressure

7570.4 Pa at 25°C

Log Kow

0.354

Water solubility

114.7 g/L at 20°C

Hydrolysis

Half-life > 5 days and possibly > 1 year

 

 

Summary of environmental tests

 

Hydrolysis

After incubation for 120 hours (5 days), dimethyl carbonate degraded less than 10% at each pH tested, indicating that the half-life at 50°C is greater than 5 days. At the environmentally relevant temperature of 20°C, it is considered that the half-life would be much greater than 5 days and possibly longer than 1 year in the pH range 4.6 to 9.2.

 

Biodegradation in water

A MITII 301C test, conducted according to GLP, resulted in 86% degradation of the test substance after 28-days demonstrating that dimethyl carbonate was readily biodegradable.

 

 

Biodegradation in soil and sediment

The Mackay level 1 fugacity model indicates that dimethyl carbonate is distributed into two compartments, air (54.46%) and water (45.45%). Negligible amounts partition into soil, sediment and biota. Therefore it is considered not necessary to investigate biodegradation in soil and sediment.

 

 

Bioaccumulation

The log Kowwas <3 indicating that dimethyl carbonate has low bioaccumulation potential according to REACH guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment point R.7.10.3.4.

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment

Dimethyl carbonate is highly water soluble and has a partition coefficient of 0.354. It is not readily hydrolysed in water at environmentally relevant pH values but is considered to be readily biodegradable. Fugacity modelling indicates that dimethyl carbonate is distributed into two compartments, air and water. Negligible amounts partition into soil, sediment and biota. Therefore it is considered not necessary to investigate biodegradation in soil and sediment. A log Kowof <3 indicates that dimethyl carbonate has low bioaccumulation potential which is confirmed by the fugacity modelling for biota and therefore a bioaccumulation study is not required.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Dimethyl carbonate is partitioned into air and water with negligible amounts in soil, sediment and biota. In the aqueous environment it is considered to be readily biodegradable. A low partition coefficient indicates that dimethyl carbonate has low bioaccumulation potential.