Registration Dossier

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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Environmental fate & pathways

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

By the nature of their design and use, textile dyes are not intended to be readily biodegradable as this would assist in the rapid destruction of the dyestuff, rendering it unfit for purpose. As such, it is accepted that such substances are not readily biodegradable under relevant environmental conditions. A published study (Pagga & Brown, 1986) describes the results of the testing of 87 dyestuffs in short-term aerobic biodegradation tests. The authors of this publication concluded that dyestuffs are very unlikely to show any significant biodegradation in such tests and that 'there seems little point in carrying out such test procedures’ on dyestuffs. There are ISO, European, American (AATCC) and national standards available for the colour fastness of dyes. Dyes are required to have specific fastness properties. If the dyes were biodegradable, it would not be possible for them to have these fastness properties.

References:

Pagga U, Brown D (1986) The degradation of dyestuffs: Part II. Behaviour of dyestuffs in aerobic biodegradation tests. Chemosphere 15: 479-491.

Additional information

Accumulation: The bioaccumulation potential of the substance is low (log Pow –5).

Mobility: The substance is considered to have little mobility in soil.