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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

Additional information

Studies on the acute toxicity of octanoic acid to freshwater species of three trophic levels (fish, invertebrates and algae) and microorganisms are available. Long-term data for fish and aquatic invertebrates were not available and therefore in accordance to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Annex XI, 1.5 a read across was conducted to the structurally related sodium laurate (CAS 629-25-4) and decanoic acid (CAS 334-48-5), respectively. Furthermore, good quality read across data from decanoic acid (CAS 334 -48 -5) are used to assess the short-term toxicity of octanoic acid to aquatic invertebrates.

Based on the key studies fish were the most sensitive organism to octanoic acid in acute toxicity tests, with an LC50 (96 h) of 22 mg/L (mortality). Test with aquatic invertebrates resulted in an EC50 (48 h) of > 21 mg/L (meas. geom. mean) while an ErC50 (72 h) of 43.73 mg/L (meas.) was reported for aquatic algae.

Comparing the long-term results of the three trophic levels, aquatic invertebrates are considered to be the most sensitive aquatic organisms with a NOEC (21 d) of 0.2 mg/L (nominal).

Microorganisms are not sensitive to octanoic acid. This assumption is based on an EC10 of 912 mg/L determined in a study conducted with Pseudomonas putida as the test organism.