Anthraquinone

Ecotoxicological Summary

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no data: aquatic toxicity unlikely

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no data: aquatic toxicity unlikely

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC sediment (freshwater)

PNEC value:

1.414 mg/kg sediment dw

Assessment factor:

100

Extrapolation method:

assessment factor

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC sediment (marine water)

PNEC value:

0.141 mg/kg sediment dw

Assessment factor:

1 000

Extrapolation method:

assessment factor

Hazard for air

Air

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no exposure of soil expected

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC oral

PNEC value:

0.033 mg/kg food

Assessment factor:

3 000

Additional information

PNEC water

There are no appropriate data available for PNECs calculations. Experimental short term toxicity studies are waived because of high insolubility of anthraquinone in water (In accordance with REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Annex VII and Annex VIII). Seeing that the solubility is 74.6 micrograms per liter, substance meets the criteria for insolubility. The long-term aquatic toxicity studies are considered (testing proposal).

There are five acute toxicity studies available (three for fish, one acute toxicity study to freshwater invertebrates and one for marine organisms) with reliable results and where selection of the test concentrations was based on the limit of water solubility of Anthraquinone. Based on these data it was established that under the conditions maintained during the studies Anthraquinone is not acutely toxic to fish, daphnids and eastern oysters at and below the material's limit of water solubility. Estimation of PNECs value is therefore impossible, and also the estimated L(E)C50 can only be used as an indication of the short-term toxicity of the chemical considered.

Because of insolubility of AQ in water, the experimental design of the aquatic toxicity study (short term and long term too) is very difficult and problematic, but there is still a potential risk for water. Releases of AQ into the aquatic compartment are expected, so there is strong need to consider how to treat with that substance.The chemical safety assessment indicates the need to investigate further the effects on aquatic organisms.

PNEC STP

Since chemicals may cause adverse effects on microbial activity in STPs it is necessary to derive a PNEC_{microorganisms}. The PNEC_{microorganisms} will be used for the calculation of the PEC/PNEC ratio concerning microbial activity in STPs.

No reliable standard microbial inhibition test data are available. Results of toxicity study of anthraquinone to microorganisms are above water solubility, thus the test result has to be considered as unreliable.

Because of insolubility of AQ in water, the experimental design of the toxicity study to microorganisms is very difficult and problematic, but there is still a potential risk for water. Releases of AQ into the environmental compartment via wastewater are expected, so there is strong need to consider how to treat with that substance.The chemical safety assessment indicates the need to investigate further the effects on aquatic organisms including microorganisms.

PNEC sediment

If result from whole-sediment test with benthic organisms is available the PNEC_sed has to be derived from this test using appropriate assessment factors.There is available one study on sub-chronic toxicity of sediment-sorbed to Chironomus tentans under flow-through conditions (Springborn Laboratories Inc., 1989). MATC - Maximum Acceptable Toxicant Concentration (concentration range encompassing the highest mean measured concentration that has no significant effect on the test organism performance and the lowest mean measured concentration that significantly affects the exposed organisms) ≥ 200 mg/kg sediment dw was determined in the study.

MATC is the geometric mean of the NOEC and the LOEC. If in the test report only the MATC is presented, the MATC can be divided by √2 to derive a NOEC.

The PNEC_sediment is derived from the available NOEC≥141.42mg/kg sediment dw (MATC≥ 200 mg/kg sediment dw) obtained in sub-chronic test with Chironomus tentans by application of the assessment factor of 100 and is then expressed as:

PNEC_{sed_fresh water}= 1.414 mg/kg of dry sediment.

 The PNEC_{marine sediment} is derived by application of the assessment factor of 1000 to the NOEC value from sub-chronic freshwater sediment tests and is then expressed as:

 PNEC_{sed_marine water}= 0.1414 mg/kg of dry sediment

PNEC soil

There are no appropriate data available for PNECs calculations using assessment factor (AF). Experimental toxicity studies are waived in accordance with REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Annex IX and Annex X - studies do not need to be conducted if direct and indirect exposure to the soil compartment is unlikely.

When no toxicity data are available for soil organisms, the equilibrium partitioning method is applied to identify a potential risk to soil organisms. This method is regarded as a “screening approach” and aquatic toxicity (PNEC_water) is used for calculation. PNEC_watercould not be established due the lack of appropriate data and high insolubility in water.

PNEC oral

The PNEC_oral is ultimately derived from the toxicity data (food basis) applying an assessment factor.

If data on avian toxicity is available then the resulting PNEC_oralbird is derived by applying an assessment factor (AF) to the available toxicity data.

The toxicity of AQ to bird Agelaius phoeniceus was reported as LD₅₀= 100 - 300 mg/kg. Using AF 3,000 predefined for acute toxicity data, PNEC_oralbird varied from 0.033 to 0.1 mg/kg of food.

Conclusion on classification

According to Regulation 1272/2008 anthraquinone is not classified as hazardous to the aquatic environment.