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Ecotoxicological information

Toxicity to microorganisms

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Description of key information

Inhibition of WWTP microorganisms (octan-1-ol): no significant inhibitory effects on respiration of activated sludges or specific microbial strains relevant to WWTP, at or above the limit of solubility (based on inhibition tests and lack of toxicity in ready biodegradability test).

Key value for chemical safety assessment

EC10 or NOEC for microorganisms:
50 mg/L

Additional information

In accordance with Column 2 of REACH Annex VIII, the activated sludge respiration inhibition study (required in Section 9.1.4 of REACH) does not need to be conducted as the substance is readily biodegradable and the applied test concentrations are in the range that can be expected in the influent to a sewage treatment plant.

Among the available existing data there is one reliability 2 study available, for the species Pseudomonas putida. A 16-h toxicity threshold of >50 mg/L was determined (Bringmann & Kuhn, 1980). This is supported by consistent data for other micro-organism species. The available data are taken into account in environmental modelling. 

This is supported by results of non-assignable reliability studies with similar chain-lengths and consistent physicochemical properties within the C6 -24 Alcohols Category, indicating EC50 in the hundreds of mg/l (in some cases, up to and exceeding the limit of solubility) for respiration of a mixed microbial culture.

Discussion of trends in the Category of C6-24 linear and essentially-linear aliphatic alcohols: 

A number of studies of the toxicity of LCAAs to single species of micro-organisms have been identified. A range of results are shown in Table 6.1 of the ECOTOXICITY Alcohols C6-24 Category report, for test species relevant to WWTP (studies on various other organisms are also available). 

 

The ready biodegradation studies (Federle, 2009 and Flach, 2012, discussed in the environmental fate section) gives evidence that rapid biodegradation by aquatic activated sludge microorganisms is seen, even in the presence of an excess of test substance (for the longer chain length category members tested).

 

At or above the limit of solubility, the data set shows that the alcohols in the chain length range C6-24 category have no significant inhibitory effects on respiration of activated sludges or specific microbial strains relevant to WWTP. There is limited evidence of inhibition of growth in some specific microbial strains but ready biodegradation evidence suggests this is not significant for mixed populations.

 

The reliability of some of these data individually is not high, but it presents a consistent weight of evidence.

 

In general it can be said that the micro-organisms examined in these tests were less susceptible to the LCAAs than fish, invertebrates and algae and that in general, IC50values for respiration effects are at or significantly above the limit of water solubility.

 

WWTP microorganisms have been demonstrated to be capable of synthesising significant concentrations of aliphatic alcohols (e.g. Mudgeet al., 2008).

Table: Micro-organism toxicity for species of potential relevance to WWTP systems

CAS

Chemical Name

Comment

Water solubility (mg/L)

Species

Endpoint

Result (mg/L)

Effect

Reliability

Reference

111-27-3

Hexan-1-ol

 

6320

Pseudomonas putida

16-hr Toxicity Threshold (TT)

62

Cell multiplication (similar to ISO 10712)

2

Bringmann and Kuhn, 1980

111-27-3

Hexan-1-ol

 

6320

Uronema parduczi

EC0

93

Not stated

4

Verschueren, 1996

111-27-3

Hexan-1-ol

 

6320

P. putida

30 min EC10

3000

Cell multiplication (DIN 38412 Part 8)

4

Henkel unpublished

111-27-3

Hexan-1-ol

 

6320

P. putida

16-hr EC10

10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412 Part 27)

4

unreferenced; IUCLID 2000 CD-ROM

111-70-6

Heptan-1-ol

Supporting

1410

P. putida

16-hr Toxicity Threshold (TT)

67

Cell multiplication (similar to ISO 10712)

2

Bringmann and Kuhn, 1980

111-70-6

Heptan-1-ol

Supporting

1410

U. parduczi

EC0

17

Not stated

4

Verschueren, 1996

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

P. putida

16-hr Toxicity Threshold (TT)

>50

Cell multiplication (similar to ISO 10712)

2

Bringmann and Kuhn, 1980

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

Chilomonas paramecium

48 h EC5

>20

Cell multiplication

4

Verschueren, 1996

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

U. parduczi

20 h TGK 5%

23

Cell multiplication

4

Bringmann and Kuhn, 1980

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

Clostridium acetobutylicum(anaerobic)

6-h EC50

130.3

Growth

4

Izardet al., 1989

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

 Activated sludge

3 h EC50

350

Respiration (OECD 209)

4

Tanget al., 1990

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

 Activated sludge

EC50

325.6

Heat flux

4

Beaubienet al., 1985

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

 Activated sludge

24h EC50

200

Respiration (other methodology)

4

Tanget al., 1990

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

 P. putida

30 min EC10

10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412 Part 27)

4

Bringmann and Kuhn, 1980

Henkel (undated)

111-87-5

Octan-1-ol

 

551

 Mixed culture

75 min EC50

625

Respiration

4

Vaishnavet al., 1986

112-30-1

Decan-1-ol

 

39.5

P. putida

30-min. EC0

10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412 Part 27)

2

Henkel, 1999a

112-30-1

Decan-1-ol

 

39.5

Mixed microbial culture

75 min EC50

443

Respiration

4

Vaishnavet al., 1985

112-30-1

Decan-1-ol

 

39.5

 P. putida

30 min EC0

10,000

Respiration

4

Henkel, unpublished

112-53-8

Dodecan-1-ol

 

2.07

 P. putida

30-min. EC0

>10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412Part27)

1

Henkel, 1994b

80206-82-2

C12-14 Alcohols

Supporting

 

P. putida

30 min EC0

>10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412Part27)

4

Henkel unpublished

80206-82-2

C12-14 Alcohols

Supporting

 

P. putida

30 min EC0

10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412Part27)

4

Henkel unpublished

112-72-1

Tetradecan-1-ol

 

0.191

P. putida

30 min EC50

>10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412Part27)

4

Henkel unpublished

68002-94-8

C16-18 and C18 Unsturated

Supporting

 

P. putida 

30-min. EC10

>10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412Part27)

2

Henkel, 1988a

112-92-5

Octadecan-1-ol

 

0.0011

P. putida

30-min.EC0

>10,000

Respiration (DIN 38412Part27)

1

Henkel, 1994c

References:

Bringmann, G. and Kuhn, R. 1980. Comparison of the toxicity thresholds of water pollutants tobacteria, algae, protozoa in the cell multiplication inhibition test.Water Research 14:231-241.

Verschueren, K. (ed.). 1996. Handbook of Environmental Data on Organic Chemicals. 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Izardet al., 1989:  Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 31, 179-183 (1989).

Tang, N.H.et al., J. Environ.Eng. (New York) 116, 1076-1084 (1990)

Beaubien, A.et al., Water Res. 19, 747-755 (1985)Beilstein On-Line database.

Vaishnav, D.D., Toxicity Assessment 1, 227-240 (1986)

Henkel KGaA.1999a. 1-Decanol: Acute toxicity bacteria. Unpublished results. Biological Research and Product Safety/Ecology. Test Substance Registration No. 7200.

Vaishnav, D.D. and Lopas, D.M. Dev. Industr. Microbiol. 26 (1985), 557-565

Henkel KGaA.1994b. Report-Nummer R 9400236. A. Kirch. Marz 1994.

Henkel KGaA. 1988a.Biological Research and Product Safety/Ecology. Test substance registration No. 6802. Bacterial toxicity.

Henkel KGaA. 1994c.1-Octadecanol: Sauerstoffzehrungshemmtest mit Bakterian. Abschlubericht. Report-Nummer R 9400049. A. Kirch. Januar 1994.

Henkel KGaA, unpublished data (1), Archive-No. 7198 (no further details available); cited in IUCLID 2000 CD-ROM (source documentation not available)

Henkel KGaA, unpublished data (2); cited in IUCLID 2000 CD-ROM (source documentation not available)

Henkel KGaA, unpublished data (3), Final Report 882633 (no further details available); cited in IUCLID 2000 CD-ROM (source documentation not available)

Henkel KGaA, unpublished data (4), Registry No. 6801 (no further details available); cited in IUCLID 2000 CD-ROM (source documentation not available)

Henkel KGaA, unpublished data (5), File 427/1 (no further details available); cited in IUCLID 2000 CD-ROM (source documentation not available)

Henkel KGaA, unpublished data (6), Test No. 9300287 31; Final Report 9500603 (no further details available); cited in IUCLID 2000 CD-ROM (source documentation not available)