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Environmental fate & pathways

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

Hydrolysis

Besides being readily biodegradable, sodium formate dissociates in water to sodium ion and formate ion.

Both of these are considered stable in water. A carboxylic acid is generally the final product of hydrolysis reactions (Lyman, 1990).


No testing is required because the material is a salt that is known to dissociate (hydrolyze) in water upon dissolution. Testing is considered impossible based on chemical principles as the anticipated concentration of undissociated material is near zero.In accordance with column 2 of REACH Annex VII, the study does not need to be performed if the substance is readily biodegradable. Sodium formate is readily biodegradable (KM Lab, 1998).

Phototransformation in soil

Since sodium formate is not volatile, the only potential photolytic reaction that needs to be considered is direct photolysis at the earth's surface. Direct photolysis is not possible because this material does not have a chromophore absorbing at a wavelength of 290 nm or above, and the presence of such a chromophore is a necessary condition for photolysis.

Additional information