Cobalt bis(2-ethylhexanoate)

Short-term toxicity to fish

Description of key information

Relevant and reliable data that could be used for classification for short-term toxicity for freshwater fish were retrieved for 3 different species. The LC50s ranged from 0.8 mg Co/L for Oncorhynchus mykiss to 85 mg Co/L for Danio rerio. Test results were obtained in experiments that followed international accepted guidance and were based on measured levels of dissolved cobalt as cobalt dichloride. No relevant and reliable data that could be used for classification for short-term toxicity for marine fish were identified. Thus, no LC50 values were derived for short-term toxicity for marine fish.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water fish

Fresh water fish

Effect concentration:

0.8 mg/L

Additional information

Ten high quality studies were included in the acute toxicity to aquatic fish database for freshwater fish. Three different species were represented in the studies, and distributed between the Danio rerio, Oncorhynchus mykiss and Pimephales promelas species. Median lethal concentration (LC50) values ranged from 0.8 mg Co/L (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Pacific EcoRisk, 2005) to 85 mg Co/L (Danio rerio, CDI, 2008b).

 

Marine:

Only one study was identified which examined the acute toxicity of cobalt to marine fish species, Fundulus heteroclitus.

The study was designated as category RL3 because the level of study documentation was incomplete and the reported values were based on the nominal (i.e., unmeasured) cobalt concentrations. Thus, no acute aquatic fish tests were judged sufficient to carry forward in subsequent risk evaluations.