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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Ecotoxicological information

Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates

Currently viewing:

Administrative data

Link to relevant study record(s)

Description of key information

In accordance with section 1 of Annex IX, the short-term toxicity testing on invertebrates (section 9.1.1.) does not need to be conducted as corn steep liquor (CSL) consists of all-natural, water soluble components (crude proteins, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, reducing sugars, organic acids, enzymes and other elemental nutrients), that have been extracted by soaking corn in water, along with a very small amount of sulfurous acid (<0.01%).  CSL has a long history of safe use as an added source of nutrition in animal feed, in fermentation processes, and in antibiotic production.  As well, CSL is readily biodegradable.  On this basis, CSL is not expected to cause adverse toxic effects to the environment.  This expectation is supported by the demonstrated lack of acute invertebrate toxicity of lactic acid - a major component of CSL.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

Corn steep liquor (CSL) consists of all-natural, water soluble components (crude proteins, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, reducing sugars, organic acids, enzymes and other elemental nutrients), that have been extracted by soaking corn in water, along with a very small amount of sulfurous acid (<0.01%). CSL has a long history of safe use as an added source of nutrition in animal feed, in fermentation processes, and in antibiotic production. As well, CSL is readily biodegradable. On this basis, CSL is not expected to cause adverse toxic effects to the environment.

 

While no studies are available on CSL, two studies addressing short-term toxicity of lactic acid, a major component of CSL, to Daphnia magna are presented in the dossier.

 

Acute toxicity to the invertebrate Daphnia magna was assessed according to OECD guideline 202 (Daphnia sp. Acute Immobilisation Test) under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) in 1994 at Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research – TNO.  The Daphnia were exposed to lactic acid under static conditions for 48 hours.  The 48–hour EC50 was determined to be 240 mg/L.

 

Acute toxicity to the invertebrate Daphnia magna was assessed according to Methods of acute toxicity with fish, Macro invertebrates and Amphibians, 1975, Committee on Methods for toxicity tests with aquatic organisms, EPA Ecol. Res. Ser. 660/3-75009 according GLP in 1984 at Analytical Biochemistry Laboratories Inc., Columbia, MO. The Daphnia were exposed to lactic acid under static conditions for 48 hours.  The 48–hour EC50 was determined to be 750 mg/L.