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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

There are no data on the biodegradation of TFE, and meaningful studies are difficult to perform since the substance is a gas. Highly fluorinated compounds such as TFE are not expected to biodegrade rapidly (BIOWIN 6 MITI non-linear model, Boethling et al 1994). However, on the basis of the high value for Henrry's law constant (92 109 Pa.m3/mol) (Oriani 2001), TFE is expected to volatilise from aquatic media into the atmosphere. The half-life for volatilisation from a model river (1m depth, 1 m/s current) and 3 m/s wind speed was calculated to be 2.9 hours (Lyman et al, 1990). Hence TFE is not expected to be persistent in the aquatic environment.

The low log Kow value of 1.21 also suggests that TFE released into water is not expected to adsorb to sediment or suspended solids.

If released to soil, owing to its low Kow value, TFE is expected to have high mobility in soil. Volatilisation from wet and dry soil surfaces is expected to be an important fate process, based upon the Henry's Law constant and this compound's high vapour pressure. Therefore TFE is not expected to persist in soil.