Distillates (coal tar), heavy oils

Toxicity to soil macroorganisms except arthropods

Administrative data

Endpoint:

toxicity to soil macroorganisms except arthropods: long-term

Type of information:

migrated information: read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Comparable to guideline study, acceptable for assessment

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

study report

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

1993

Report date:

1993

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Test guideline 1

Qualifier:

no guideline followed

Guideline:

other: Based on an NL draft

Deviations:

yes

Remarks:

- deviating from practice in acute test testing (OECD 207): 350 g sand were used for coating instead of 10 g sand as carrier

Test guideline 2

Qualifier:

equivalent or similar to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 207 (Earthworm, Acute Toxicity Tests)

Deviations:

yes

Remarks:

: prolongation of the exposure time to 21 d and scoring cocoons and number of offspring

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Artificial soil test for chronic toxicity on Eisenia fetida

GLP compliance:

yes

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Phenanthrene

EC Number:

201-581-5

EC Name:

Phenanthrene

Cas Number:

85-01-8

Molecular formula:

C14H10

IUPAC Name:

phenanthrene

Details on test material:

no data

Specific details on test material used for the study:

Details on properties of test surrogate or analogue material (migrated information):
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
- Vapour pressure: ~ 0.016 Pa (25 °C)
- Water solubility (under test conditions): ~ 1.3 mg/L (25 °C)
- log Pow: 4.5 - 4.6

Sampling and analysis

Analytical monitoring:

yes

Details on sampling:

--

Test substrate

Vehicle:

no

Details on preparation and application of test substrate:

Preparation of the test substance:
The test substance for each test concentration was dissolved in acetone and coated onto quartz sand (M32) as carrier. 350 g sand were coated for each test concentration.

Application of the test substance:
350 g portions of the coated sand were then mixed into artificial soil consisting of the remainder of M32 sand (medium grain size approx. 250 µm, no organic matter), kaolin, milled sphagnum peat (7:2:1). CaCO3 was added at a ratio of 4 g/kg of dry soil. Finally the soil was wetted to 52–55 % humidity by taking regard of the inherent moisture of the peat used.
After addition of the test substance, the spiked soil was incubated at 4 °C for 33 days to allow equilibrium partitioning of test material in the test soil

Test organisms

Test organisms (species):

Eisenia fetida

Animal group:

annelids

Study design

Study type:

laboratory study

Substrate type:

artificial soil

Limit test:

no

Total exposure duration:

21 d

Test conditions

Test temperature:

Room temperature

pH:

6.7 - 7.0

Moisture:

Approx. 52 – 55 % (medium for adult)
Approx. 30 – 35 % (medium for cocoons)

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test container (material, size): 2L Kilner jar
- Amount of soil or substrate: 0.75kg/ container
- No. of organisms per container (treatment): 10
- No. of replicates per treatment group: 4
- No. of replicates per control: 4
- No. of replicates per vehicle control: no vehicle

SOURCE AND PROPERTIES OF SUBSTRATE (if soil)

- Composition (if artificial substrate): 10 % peat, 20 % kaolin, 70 % quartz sand, approx. 0.4 % calcium carbonate, 10 g dried cow manure per kg soil (dw) as food for the worms
- Organic carbon (%): no data
- Maximum water holding capacity (in % dry weigth): no data
- Pretreatment of soil: For the maintenance and incubation of the cocoons, the peat was sieved to a finer degree than used in acute testing (grain size 0.5 instead of 1.0 mm. The moisture content of this medium was 30-35 % instead of 52-55 %
- Storage (condition, duration): Preparation with test material one month in advance, storage at 4°Cto allow equilibrium partitioning between soil particles, organic material an soil moisture.
- Stability and homogeneity of test material in the medium: little or no degradation during storage

OTHER TEST CONDITIONS
- Photoperiod: no data
- Light intensity: 0-60 lux

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED (with observation intervals if applicable) : Mortality, reproduction (cocoon production, young per cocoon) after 21 d

VEHICLE CONTROL PERFORMED: no

TEST CONCENTRATIONS
- Test concentrations: 1, 10, 32, 100, 320, and 1000 mg/kg (dw) artificial soil

Nominal and measured concentrations:

Nominal: 0, 10, 32, 100, 320, 1000 mg/kg (dw) artificial soil

Reference substance (positive control):

no

Results and discussion

Effect concentrations

Effect concentrations 1

Duration:

21 d

Dose descriptor:

LC0

Effect conc.:

320 mg/kg soil dw

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality

Remarks:

adult

Effect concentrations 2

Duration:

21 d

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

> 320 - < 1 000 mg/kg soil dw

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality

Remarks:

adult

Effect concentrations 3

Duration:

21 d

Dose descriptor:

LC100

Effect conc.:

> 1 000 mg/kg soil dw

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality

Remarks:

adult

Effect concentrations 4

Duration:

21 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

100 mg/kg soil dw

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

reproduction

Remarks:

- number of cocoons

Effect concentrations 5

Duration:

21 d

Dose descriptor:

EC50

Effect conc.:

ca. 240 mg/kg soil dw

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

reproduction

Remarks on result:

other: EC50 calculated by maximum likelihood model

Effect concentrations 6

Duration:

21 d

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

ca. 25 mg/kg soil dw

Nominal / measured:

estimated

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

reproduction

Remarks on result:

other: considering rapid elimination of phenanthrene

Effect concentrations 7

Duration:

21 d

Dose descriptor:

EC50

Effect conc.:

ca. 60 mg/kg soil dw

Nominal / measured:

estimated

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

reproduction

Remarks on result:

other: considering rapid elimination of phenanthrene

Details on results:

- Other biological observations: At 320 mg/kg soil (dw) and higher, adult animals were sluggish.

Reported statistics and error estimates:

No statistical analyses of the effect data

Any other information on results incl. tables

Measured phenanthrene concentrations in soil

Time of incubation	Nominal concentration [mg/kg soil]
[Days]	0	10	100	1000
	Residual concentrations in soil
0	0.025	12	120	1210
21	0.07	1.43	2.43	73

The pristine test substance disappeared rapidly from soil.

Measured concentrations in Eisenia fetida

Time of incubation	Nominal concentration [mg/kg soil]
[Days]	0	10	100	1000
	Concentration in tissue [mg/kg dw Eisenia fetida]
0	0.03	--	--	--
3		5.0	120	740
7		2.2	9.3	120
14		0.4	0.47	6.5
21	0.08	0.06	0.27	6.3

Mortality and reproduction data

Test Substance	Adult	Cocoons
Concentration (nominal/ measured)^1 [mg/kg soil]	Survival after 21 d [number survivors/initial number]	Average number of cocoons/surviving adults	Unfertilised cocoons	Average number of worms per fertilised cocoon
0	39/40	56/39	6	3.7
10 (n)	40/40	56/40	2	3.6
32 (n)	40/40	51/40	5	3.7
100 (n)	40/40	51/40	3	3.5
320 (n)	40/40	17/40	3	4.3
1000 (n)	20/40	4/20	1	1.1

¹TS concentrations were nominal (n)

Due to the short residence time of phenanthrene in soil, the actual exposure concentrations were lower, and therefore, the real effect concentration could be much lower, with an EC₅₀ in the order of 10 -100 mg/kg and a NOEC for reproduction of 4 – 50 mg/kg.

Thus, reasonable estimates arrive at a NOEC (reprod.) of 25 mg/kg and EC₅₀ of 60 mg/kg dw.