Dinitrotoluene

Ecotoxicological Summary

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC aqua (freshwater)

PNEC value:

2 µg/L

Assessment factor:

10

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC aqua (marine water)

PNEC value:

0.02 µg/L

Assessment factor:

100

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC STP

PNEC value:

0.55 mg/L

Assessment factor:

1

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC sediment (freshwater)

PNEC value:

6.73 µg/kg sediment dw

Extrapolation method:

equilibrium partitioning method

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC sediment (marine water)

PNEC value:

0.673 µg/kg sediment dw

Extrapolation method:

equilibrium partitioning method

Hazard for air

Air

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:

PNEC soil

PNEC value:

4.9 µg/kg soil dw

Assessment factor:

1 000

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no data available: testing technically not feasible

Conclusion on classification

ForDaphnia magnalong-termtests with different isomers are available. A comparison of the effect values measured by Deneer etal. (1988) for the isomers 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,6- and 3,4-DNT shows that for the endpoint immobilisationthe 2,4-DNT was most toxic. For the endpoint population growth and length ofDaphniathe 3,4-DNT was the most toxic isomer, however only with a factor of 3 compared to the 2,4-DNT. Thelowest 21d-NOEC of 0.02 mg/l was determined by Kuehn et al. (1988) in a reproduction testaccording to the German proposal of the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) of 1984 for 2,4-DNT. This value is an effective concentration that was estimated based on the observed recoveriesof higher tested concentrations, since the detection limit was at 0.05 mg/l. It is assumed that thisNOEC covers also the toxicity of the technical mixture, as 2,4-DNT is the main component of themixture and exhibited the highest toxicity inDaphnialong-term tests.

For photothropic organisms,the EC10(96 h) of 0.056 mg/l (nominal) determined by Adema et al. (1981) forMicrocystisaeruginosais used as long-term value.

Determination ofPNECaquaChronic tests on three trophic levels are available for 2,4-DNT. For the other isomers that arecomponents of the technical mixture, only for 2 trophic levels long-term tests are available(Daphniaand algae). However, from the available data it can be concluded that the toxicity of thetechnical mixture is covered by the toxicity ofthe 2,4-DNT, an assessment factor of 10 can beapplied for the derivation of the PNECaquafor DNT according to EU Technical GuidanceDocument. From the effect value for the most sensitive species, Daphnia magna(Kuehn et al.,1988), aPNECaquaof 2μg/lis obtained.