Reaction mass of 4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol and phenol

Endpoint summary

Additional information

Acute toxicity tests on aquatic organisms were conducted with the constituents of the reaction mass of phenol and 4,4’-isopropylidenediphenol. In toxicity tests with aquatic fish, invertebrates, and algae, Bisphenol A was, by in large, the most toxic component of the reaction mass. Thus, the lowest toxicity values reported in acute toxicity tests with fish, invertebrates, and algae were 4.6 mg/L Bisphenol A (based on a 96 -hour LC50 value for fathead minnows), 1.1 mg/L Bisphenol A (based on a 96 -hour EC50 value for mysid shrimp), and 1.1 mg/L Bisphenol A (based on cell number in a 96 hour toxicity test with the saltwater algae, Skeletonema costatum).

 

 

Long term ecotoxicity data are available for the constituents of the reaction mass of phenol and 4,4’-isopropylidenediphenol.

For Bisphenol A, the most sensitive effect endpoint that is relevant to fish populations is egg hatchability in the fathead minnow. The NOEC based on egg hatchability from a fathead minnow life-cycle study is 16 µg/L.  For marine species, a NOEC for reproductive success (egg/female/day) was observed in a life-cycle exposure to sheepshead minnow at 66 µg a.i./L.

For Phenol, the lowest long-term effect value was found for Daphnia magna by Deneer et al. (1988) for growth reduction as test parameter. Although this parameter is not a standardised endpoint the EC10-value of 0.46 mg/L will be used as long-term effect value for aquatic invertebrates.

For BPA, studies considered to have a Klimisch rating of 1, with analytical confirmation of dose and following appropriate internationally recognised guidance, include a Daphnia magna reproduction study with a NOEC of 3.16 mg/L (Caspers, 1998), a rotifer life-cycle study with a NOEC of 1.8 mg/L (Springborn Smithers, 2006a; also reported in Mihaich et al., 2009), a mysid shrimp life-cycle study with a NOEC of 0.170 mg/L (Lee, 2010), and a Marisa cornuarietis snail reproduction study with a NOEC of 0.025 mg/L (Warbritton et al., 2007a; Forbes et al. 2008). The NOEC of 0.025 mg/L from the 328 day Marisa cornuarietis study based on a reduction in female growth was considered the key parameter for the long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates, although there are a number of chronic NOECs for invertebrates that are used in an SSD determination.

 

Due to the extensive datasets available for BPA and phenol, the constituents of the target substance Reaction mass of phenol and 4,4’-isopropylidenediphenol, we refrained from including all available data on both substances into this dataset, but used the key and weight of evidence information of phenol and BPA to document the hazard profile of the reaction mass. The assessments of phenol and BPA by the respective consortia is based on the EU risk assessment reports and has been adopted for this reaction mass.

 

Since the contribution of the impurities to the overall ecotoxicity of the substance is considered to be low based on the available experimental data on 2-Acetone, polymer with phenol, the assessment will focus on the main components.

 

	Bisphemol A	Phenol	2-Acetone, polymer with phenol
Short term toxicity to fish	96 h LC50 =4.6 mg/L (freshwater)   96 h LC50 =9.4 mg/L (marine)	96 h LC50 =8.9 mg/L	96 h LC50 =4.95 mg/L
Long term toxicity to fish	NOEC = 16 µg/L (freshwater)   116 d NOEC = 66 µg/L (marine)	60 d NOEC =77 µg/L	No data
Short term toxicity to invertebrates	48 h EC50 = 10.2 mg/L (freshwater)   48 h EC50 = 1.1 mg/L (marine)	48 h EC50 = 3.1 mg/L	48 h EC50 = 8.27 mg/L
Long term toxicity to invertebrates	21 d NOEC = 25 µg/L (freshwater)   28 d NOEC = 0.17 mg/L (marine)	16 d EC10 = 0.46 mg/L	No data
Short-term toxicity to Algae	2.73 mg/L (biomass, freshwater)   1.1 mg/L (marine)	61.1 mg/L (cellnumber increas)	>100 mg/L (growth rate)
Long-term toxicity to Algae	1.36 mg/L (biomass, freshwater)   0.4 mg/L (marine)	Not reported	10.3 mg/L (growth rate)
Toxicity to microorganisms	16 h IC50  = 54.5 mg/L	24 h IC50 = 21 mg/L	3 hEC50 = 4539 mg/L