Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 932-833-9 | CAS number: -
Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
- ECD SIAR 2007a.SIDS Initial Assessment Report for SIAM 24, Paris, France, 17 -20 April 2007. Chemical Category: Iron Salts. Sponsor Country: Finland. Industry sponsor/consortium: CEFIC Incopa Iron Salts Group. July 2007.
- OECD SIDS 2007b. SIDS Initial Assessment Report for SIAM 24, Paris, France, 17-20 April 2007. Chemical Category: Ammonia. Sponsor Country: United States. Industry sponsor/consortium:European Fertilizers Manufacturing Association (EFMA-Europe) and The Fertilizer Institute (TFI-US). January 2007.
There are no reliable data describing the toxicity of the registered substance to aquatic algae. However, testing to determine the potential of the registered substance to inhibit algal growth is not considered appropriate on the grounds that:
- short-term toxicity of the substance to aquatic invertebrates is low,
- both citric acid and iron are physiologically important for algae,
- ammonia is a widespread plant fertiliser and is used a nitrogen source
by algae.
Iron is an essential trace element for plant development. The presence of higher concentrations of iron in aquatic environments can however lead to growth impairment due to an indirect effect of nutrient (phosphate) removal (80% phosphorous removal is achieved at a dose of 1.48:1 molar ratio Fe:P, Thistleton et al. 2002). Standard algal toxicity test data cannot therefore be relied upon to give a true indication iron toxicity unless steps have been taken to compensate for nutrient removal. In addition, Fe precipitates in solution and there are severe technical difficulties in conducting a test without the confounding effects of physical fouling phenomena (OECD SIDS 2007a). In addition, citric acid is a complexing agent and determining the intrinsic toxicity of the substance with algae is considered to be difficult because complexation of essential nutrients in the test medium would take place. However, an 8 day Toxicity Threshold value of 640 mg/l and a NOEC value of 425 mg/l (estimated by reviewer) have been determined for the effects of citric acid on cell density of the algae Scenedesmus quadricauda.
Ammonia is assimilated by aquatic plants and marophytes as a source of nitrogen and the lowest EC50values was recorded with the algae, Chlorella vulgaris, where an EC50 (biomass; 0 -5 d) value of was 1300 mg/l was determined using ammonium chloride.
In a 21-day test with Chlorella vulgaris and ammonium sulfate, an EC50 of 25,476 mg/l (2700 mg N/l) was established from exponential growth on day 11-18 (OECD SIDS 2007b and online disseminated dossier for ammonium sulfate, CAS 7787-20-2).
References:
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