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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Additional information

Sodium methanolate is a white to yellowish organic solid salt that decomposes above 300 °C (OECD SIDS, 2006). Sodium methanolate has a calculated vapour pressure of 6.39 x 10-6 hPa (study director 2003). On contact with water the substance decomposes rapidly and exothermically under formation of methanol and sodium hydroxide (OECD SIDS, 2006). Due to the fast decomposition the hydrolysis products are relevant for the evaluation of the partitioning in the environmental compartments.

Sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide is an inorganic salt that partitions predominantly into the water phase and will not adsorb to particulate matter or surfaces. The substance will further dissociate in water to sodium and hydroxide ions and has no potential to bioaccumulate (OECD, 2002). Potential atmospheric emissions of NaOH are considered of no concern since it is rapidly neutralized by carbon dioxide. Significant emissions to the terrestrial environment are not expected. Terrestrial emissions will be neutralized by the buffer capacity of the soil.

Methanol
If released to the environment methanol is readily biodegradable (76 – 82% BOD-removal after 5 days). The log Pow of methanol is -0.77, indicating a low bioaccumulation potential and low potential for adsorption (study director, 2009). The low potential for bioaccumulation was confirmed by experimental BCF-values of < 10 that have been determined in different fish species (Freitag et al., 1985, Gluth et al., 1985). Gaffney et al. (1987) published a Henry’s law constant of 0.461 Pa m³/mol for methanol indicating a low potential for volatilisation. If released to the air compartment, methanol will be photodegraded by hydroxyl radicals with a half-life of 17 - 18 days (Atkinson, 1989).