Registration Dossier

Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets

Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Hydrolysis

Currently viewing:

Administrative data

Link to relevant study record(s)

Reference
Endpoint:
hydrolysis
Type of information:
other: expert judgement
Adequacy of study:
supporting study
Reliability:
2 (reliable with restrictions)
Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
other: UK Environmental Risk Evaluation Report (ERAR) 2005 on 4-tert-octylphenol: assumed to be reliable information source
Qualifier:
no guideline followed
Principles of method if other than guideline:
UK Environmental Risk Evaluation Report (ERAR) 2005: literature review
GLP compliance:
not specified
Validity criteria fulfilled:
not applicable
Conclusions:
Hydrolysis of 4-tert-octylphenol is not expected.
Executive summary:

The UK Environmental Risk Evaluation Report (ERAR) 2005 on 4-tert-octylphenol states that hydrolysis would not be expected in view of the chemical structure. In addition, based upon the stability of 4-tert-octylphenol during storage and lack of degradation in controls in biodegradation studies cited in the UK ERAR 2005, it is likely that abiotic degradation is a negligible removal process. Therefore, hydrolysis is believed to be a negligible removal process for 4-tert-octylphenol in the aquatic environment.

 

Description of key information

In accordance with REACH Annex XI, there is sufficient weight of evidence from several independent sources of information leading to the conclusion that hydrolysis is not an important abiotic degradation pathway for 4-tert-octylphenol. Therefore, hydrolysis testing for 4-tert-octylphenol is not scientifically necessary.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

As stated in the ECHA Guidance Document R.7B, p. 233, hydrolysis is not an important fate process for petroleum substances since hydrocarbons do not undergo reaction with water. 4-tert-octylphenol is also a substance among the hydrocarbons consisting of an alkylchain with eight C atoms attached to a phenol ring. This means that also for 4-tert-octylphenol hydrolysis is not a dominant route of abiotic degradation.

 

This assumption is in accordance with the presumption of Melcer et al., 2007 (p. 11). This study did not expect hydrolysis to be important for alkylphenol ethoxylates and alkylphenols because of their chemical structures and the lack of functional groups susceptible to hydrolytic attack.

 

This assumption is further supported by the UK Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) Report 2005 on 4-tert-octylphenol which states that hydrolysis would not be expected in view of the chemical structure. In addition, based upon the stability of 4-tert-octylphenol during storage and lack of degradation in controls in biodegradation studies cited in the UK ERA Report 2005, it is likely that abiotic degradation is a negligible removal process. Therefore, hydrolysis is believed to be a negligible removal process for 4-tert-octylphenol in the aquatic environment.