Pentaerythritol, mixed esters with linear and branched fatty acids

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

Description of key information

degradation of >60% within 28 days (read-across from similar substances)

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Biodegradation in water:

readily biodegradable

Additional information

The biodegradation in water of Tetraesters of pentaerythritol with linear and branched fatty acids was deduced from the measurement of a similar substances: Tetraesters of pentaerythritol with heptanoic acid and 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoic acid (List number 805-289-4; Hammesfahr, 2016); Decanoic acid, mixed esters with heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, pentaerythritol and valeric acid (CAS-No. 71010 -76 -9); Tetra-esterification products of C5, C7, C8, C10 fatty acids with pentaerythritol (CAS-No. 68424 -31 -7); and TMP-PA (CAS RN 126-57-8). The ready biodegradability for first two substances was conducted according to OECD 301F using non-adapted activated sludge from a municipal sewage treatment plant. The ready biodegradability for last two substances was conducted according to OECD 301B. All analogues reached >60% within 28 days (64%, 84.1%, 84%, and 76% respectively). Since Tetraesters of pentaerythritol with linear and branched fatty acids is a

UVCB substance and consists of structurally similar constituents with [e.g. different chain-lengths, degree and/or site of branching or stereo-isomers], sequential (instead of concurrent) biodegradation of the individual structures can take place, but all can be considered as readily biodegradable. Thus, referring to Annex I to the OECD Guideline for Testing of Chemicals ‘Revised introduction to the OECD guidelines for testing of chemicals, section 3’ (OECD, March 2006), the 10-day window should not be considered for this UVCB substance and due to a degradation of >60 % within 28 days for all of the analogue substances, Tetraesters of pentaerythritol with linear and branched fatty acids can be regarded as readily biodegradable.