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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Ecotoxicological information

Sediment toxicity

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Administrative data

Link to relevant study record(s)

Description of key information

Due to the properties of the category members Fatty Acid Glycerides (mono-, di-, and tri-esters of fatty acids with glycerol) no hazard to sediment organisms is expected.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

According to column 2 of EC 1907/2006 Annex X 9.5.1 long-term toxicity testing with sediment organisms shall only be proposed if the chemical safety assessment indicates the need to investigate further the effects of the substance on sediment organisms. No effects of the test substance can be expected for sediment organisms due to the following reasons: As Fatty Acid Glycerides are readily biodegradable and have a very low water solubility (< 1 mg/L), only low concentrations in the aquatic environment can be expected.

Acute and chronic study results show that Fatty Acid Glycerides have only a low toxicity for mammals and aquatic organisms. For humans Fatty Acid Glycerides constitute a large part of the fat content within the diet. They participate in normal physiological processes and are thus inherently harmless. Their common metabolic fate involves stepwise hydrolysis to the fatty acids and glycerol. Fatty acids and glycerol feed into physiological pathways like the citric acid cycle, sugar synthesis and lipid synthesis. Furthermore mono- and diglycerides have an amphiphilic character and can be part of biological membranes or act as emulsifier and thus, are naturally present in all living organism. Fatty Acid Glycerides can be used as energy source by organisms. They are synthesised by plants and stored e.g. in the fatty tissue of organisms. Thus, as glycerides are constituents of sediment organisms, toxic effects caused by Fatty Acid Glycerides are implausible.

Hence, considering low concentrations in the aquatic environment and the most likely harmlessness of Fatty Acid Glycerides for sediment organisms, no long-term toxicity data for sediment organisms have to be generated.