Corn, steep liquor

Ecotoxicological Summary

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC aqua (freshwater)

PNEC value:

0.004 mg/L

Assessment factor:

1 000

Extrapolation method:

assessment factor

PNEC freshwater (intermittent releases):

0.035 mg/L

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC aqua (marine water)

PNEC value:

0 mg/L

Assessment factor:

10 000

Extrapolation method:

assessment factor

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC STP

PNEC value:

9.95 mg/L

Assessment factor:

10

Extrapolation method:

assessment factor

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC sediment (freshwater)

PNEC value:

0.013 mg/kg sediment dw

Extrapolation method:

equilibrium partitioning method

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC sediment (marine water)

PNEC value:

0.001 mg/kg sediment dw

Extrapolation method:

equilibrium partitioning method

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC soil

PNEC value:

0.001 mg/kg soil dw

Extrapolation method:

equilibrium partitioning method

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no potential for bioaccumulation

Additional information

PNEC water(freshwater)

 

		Value		Assessment factor		Remarks/Justification
PNEC water (freshwater)		0.0035 mg/L		1000		Based on the results of short-term toxicity studies with aquatic organisms

 

The general principle of the method given by the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.10 (May 2008)is that the result from a laboratory test is divided by an appropriate assessment factor. PNECs are estimated by division of the lowest value for the toxicity with the relevant assessment factor. Results of short-term tests are preferred to those of short-term tests, because such results give a more realistic picture of effects on the organisms during their entire life cycle.

 

It is not possible to calculate the PNEC water for Corn Steep Liquor due to the lack of data.

 

Short-term results from fish, daphnia and algae representing three trophic levels are available on Lactic acid, a major component of CSL. The most critical short-term result is the 70 hours ErC50 on Algae, 3.5 mg/L. Therefore, it seems appropriate in this assessment to consider 3.5 mg/L as the lowest end of the short-term toxicity range for aquatic organisms. This range covers three taxonomic groups, fish, invertebrates and algae, and taking into account the recommendations of the ECHA guidance, a factor of 1000 to the lowest end of the short-term toxicity range is applied, obtaining a PNEC for aquatic organisms of 0.0035 mg/L.

 

PNEC aquatic organisms = short-term toxicity range/1000 = 0.0035 mg/L

 

 

PNEC water (marine water)

 

	Value	Assessment factor	Remarks/Justification
PNEC water (marine water)	0.00035 mg/L	10000	Based on the results of short-term toxicity studies with aquatic organisms

 

The general principle of the method given by the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.10 (May 2008) is that the result from a laboratory test is divided by an appropriate assessment factor. PNECs are estimated by division of the lowest value for the toxicity with the relevant assessment factor. Results of short-term tests are preferred to those of short-term tests, because such results give a more realistic picture of effects on the organisms during their entire life cycle.

 

It is not possible to calculate the PNEC water for Corn Steep Liquor due to the lack of data.

 

The data set does not include test data on marine water species but short-term results on freshwater species representing three trophic levels (fish, daphnia and algae) are available on Lactic acid, a major component of CSL. Therefore, in absence of data on saltwater species the PNEC for aquatic organisms can be used for both, freshwater and marine environments and divided by the appropriate assessment factor. The most critical short-term result is the 70 hours ErC50 on Algae, 3.5 mg/L. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider 3.5 mg/L as the lowest end of the short-term toxicity range for aquatic organisms. This range covers three taxonomic groups, fish, invertebrates and algae, and taking into account the recommendations of the ECHA guidance, a factor of 10000 to the lowest end of the short-term toxicity range is used, obtaining a PNEC for aquatic organisms of 0.00035 mg/L.

 

PNEC aquatic organisms = short-term toxicity range/10000 = 0.00035 mg/L

 

 

PNEC water (intermittent release)

 

	Value	Assessment factor	Remarks/Justification
PNEC water (intermittent release)	0.035 mg/L	100	Based on the results of short-term toxicity studies with aquatic organisms

 

The general principle given by the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.10 (May 2008) is that the PNEC-values derived for freshwater or marine waters are based on the implicit assumption that the environmental exposure is constant. However, in many cases, discharges will be limited in time. In such cases, the environmental exposure will also be limited in time, and it is assumed that when exposure stops rapidly, populations can tolerate higher concentrations than when it is long lasting.

 

It is not possible to calculate the PNEC water for Corn Steep Liquor due to the lack of data.

 

Short-term results from fish, daphnia and algae representing three trophic levels are available on Lactic acid, a major component of CSL. The most critical short-term toxicity result is the 70 hours ErC50 on Algae, 3.5 mg/L. Therefore, it seems appropriate in this assessment to consider 3.5 mg/L as the lowest end of the short-term toxicity range for aquatic organisms. This range covers three taxonomic groups, fish, invertebrates and algae, and taking into account the recommendations of the ECHA guidance, a factor of 100 to the lowest end of the short-term toxicity range is applied, obtaining a PNEC for aquatic organisms of 0.035 mg/L.

 

PNEC aquatic organisms = short-term toxicity range/100 = 0.035 mg/L

 

PNEC Sewage Treatment Plant (STP)

 

	Value	Assessment factor	Remarks/Justification
PNEC Sewage Treatment Plant (STP)	9.95 mg/L	10	Based on the results of a ready biodegradability test

 

The general principle of the method given by the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.10 (May 2008) is that the result from a laboratory test is divided by an appropriate assessment factor. PNECs are estimated by division of the lowest value for the toxicity with the relevant assessment factor.

 

The PNEC is derived from the available ready biodegradation test run on the substance Corn Steep Liquor. An assessment factor (AF) of 10 is applied to the test concentration of 99.5 mg/L at which no toxicity to the inoculum is observed, obtaining a PNEC for microorganisms of 9.95 mg/L.

 

PNEC microorganisms = test concentration with no toxicity /10 = 9.95 mg/L

 

 

PNEC sediment (freshwater)

 

	Value	Assessment factor	Remarks/Justification
PNEC sediment (freshwater)	0.013 mg/kg	Not applicable	Equilibrium partitioning

 

It is not possible to calculate the PNEC sediment for Corn Steep Liquor due to the complex composition of the UVCB substance.

 

An estimation of the PNEC sediment can be performed on lactic acid, a major component of CSL, according to the equilibrium partitioning method given by the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.10 (May 2008):

 

PNEC sediment = (Ksusp-water / RHOsusp) * PNECwater * 1000

 

Where:

 

Ksusp-water = 0.94 m3 /m3 (according to EUSES2.1)

RHOsusp = 1150 kg/m3 (according to the “R16” Guidance document (2008) equation R16-23)

PNECwater [freshwater] = 0.0035 mg/L

Conversion factor wet-dry suspended matter = 4.6 (according to EUSES2.1)

 

Hence:

PNECsediment wet = (0.94 / 1150) * PNECwater * 1000 = 0.0029 mg/kg

PNECsediment dry = 0.0029 * 4.6 = 0.013 mg/kg

 

PNEC sediment (marine water)

 

	Value	Assessment factor	Remarks/Justification
PNEC sediment (marine water)	0.0013 mg/kg	Not applicable	Equilibrium partitioning

 

It is not possible to calculate the PNEC sediment for Corn Steep Liquor due to the complex composition of the UVCB substance.

 

An estimation of the PNEC sediment can be performed on lactic acid, a major component of CSL, according to the equilibrium partitioning method given by the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.10 (May 2008):

 

PNEC sediment = (Ksusp-water / RHOsusp) * PNECwater * 1000

 

Where:

Ksusp-water = 0.94 m3 /m3 (according to EUSES2.1)

RHOsusp = 1150 kg/m3 (according to the “R16” Guidance document (2008) equation R16-23)

PNECwater [marine] = 0.00035 mg/L

Conversion factor wet-dry suspended matter = 4.6 (according to EUSES2.1)

 

 

Hence:

PNECsediment = (0.94 / 1150) * PNECwater * 1000 = 0.00029 mg/kg

PNECsediment dry = 0.00029 * 4.6 = 0.0013 mg/kg

 

 

PNEC soil

 

	Value	Assessment factor	Remarks/Justification
PNEC soil	0.00058 mg/kg	Not applicable	Equilibrium partitioning

 

It is not possible to calculate the PNEC soil for Corn Steep Liquor due to the complex composition of the UVCB substance.

 

An estimation of the PNECsoil can be performed on lactic acid, a major component of CSL, according to the equilibrium partitioning method given by the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.10 (May 2008):

 

PNECsoil = (Ksoil-water / RHOsoil) * PNECwater * 1000

 

Where:

Ksoil-water = 0.248 m3 /m3 (according to EUSES2.1)

RHOsoil = 1700 kg/m3 (according to the “R16” Guidance document (2008) equation R16-23)

PNECwater [freshwater] = 0.0035 mg/L

Conversion factor wet-dry soil = 1.13 (according to EUSES2.1)

 

Hence:

PNECsoil wet = (0.248 / 1700) * PNECwater * 1000 = 0.00051 mg/kg

PNECsoil dry = 0.00051 * 1.13 = 0.00058 mg/kg

 

PNEC oral

 

	Value	Assessment factor	Remarks/Justification
PNEC oral	--	--	Not relevant

 

It is not possible to calculate the PNEC oral for Corn Steep Liquor due to the lack of data, however the substance has no potential to cause toxic effects and there are no indications that it bioaccumulates in higher organisms. Based on the low bioaccumulation potential and its ready biodegradability secondary poisoning is not regarded as relevant.

Conclusion on classification

Not classified for environmental hazards