Aluminum, benzoate C16-18-fatty acids complexes

Endpoint summary

Additional information

Acute aquatic toxicity

The substance aluminum, benzoate C16-18-fatty acids complexes is not considered to be acutely toxic to fish, invertebrates or inhibitory to algal growth as the substance has acute LL or EL50s of >100 mg/L (WAF).

Published data

The literature search identified no ecotoxicological data for aluminum, benzoate C16-18-fatty acids complexes.

Proprietary data

Due to the lack of experimental ecotoxicity data for aluminum, benzoate C16-18-fatty acids complexes novel testing was undertaken. Because of the low aqueous solubility, the substance was tested as a Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF). Amounts of test item were added to the surface of the dilutent at the appropriate loading rate. After the addition of the test item, the media was stirred by a magnetic stirrer using a stirring rate such that a vortex was formed to give a dimple at the water surface. The stirring was stopped after 23 hours and the mixture allowed to stand for 1 hour. A wide bore glass tube, covered at one end with Nescofilm was submerged into the vessel, sealed end down, to a depth of approximately 5 cm from the bottom of the vessel. A length of Tygon tubing was inserted into the glass tube and pushed through the Nescofilm seal and the WAFs removed by mid-depth siphoning (the first approximate 75-100 mL discarded) to give the WAF. Microscopic inspection of the WAF showed no micro-dispersions or undissolved test item to be present.

While ensuring that media were compatible with the water chemistry requirements of the test species, the tests on the three taxa were conducted using water from the same source with similar characteristics. As the water solubility of the substance is likely to be influenced by the hardness of the water, the ecotoxicity tests were all conducted in media with the same hardness, approximately 150 mg/L CaCO₃. As the substance could not be analysed directly, both the aluminium and the total organic carbon were measured in the exposure media.

The acute toxicity of aluminum, benzoate C16-18-fatty acids complexes to fish and Daphnia and toxicity to algal growth showed no effects at a water accommodated fraction nominal loading rate of 100 mg/L. Therefore, for fish the 96 hour LL50 is > 100 mg/L (WAF), for Daphnia the 48 hour EL50 is >100 mg/L (WAF) and for algal growth inhibition the 72 hour EL50 is >100 mg/L (WAF). The acute toxicity to fish, Daphnia and toxicity to algal growth were determined in GLP-compliant, limit tests following OECD guidelines 203, 202 and 201 respectively (Harlan 2013).

Chronic aquatic toxicity

No data are available for the long-term toxicity to invertebrates or fish for the substance. Algal studies report both acute and chronic endpoints and therefore the data collected from the algal growth inhibition study will be used to provide chronic data for this trophic level. The toxicity of aluminum, benzoate C16-18-fatty acids complexes to algal growth showed no effects at a water accommodated fraction loading rate of 100 mg/L. Therefore, the 72 hour NOErLR is 100 mg/L (WAF) (Harlan 2013).

REACH Chapter R5 (ECHA 2011) states that chronic aquatic ecotoxicity testing may be triggered if the CSA indicates that there is a need to investigate further the effects on the environment. Testing may be triggered if additional testing could alter the conclusions on classification, PBT assessment or the level of concern. Aluminum, benzoate C16-18-fatty acids complexes is readily biodegradable, has a low potential for bioaccumulation and shows no acute toxicity at up to 100 mg/L (WAF). No chronic effects were observed in the algal toxicity tests at 100 mg/L (WAF). Additional chronic toxicity tests would therefore not lead to changes in the classification or the conclusion that this substance is neither PBT nor vPvB. As the substance is not classified or considered to be PBT/vPvB, an exposure assessment is not required and so additional chronic testing is not required to refine this assessment (ECHA R7b 2012). Further chronic testing of invertebrates and fish is therefore not triggered and these data requirements are waived.

Sediment toxicity

No data are available for the toxicity to sediment organisms. Sediment toxicity data are not a data requirement at the registered tonnage band.

References

ECHA (2011) Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment – Chapter R.5: Adaptation of information requirements. European Chemicals Agency, ECHA-2011-G-15-EN.

ECHA (2012) Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment – Chapter R.7b: Endpoint Specific Guidance. European Chemicals Agency.