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Diss Factsheets

Environmental fate & pathways

Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment

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Description of key information

Fatty acids, C8-12, isopentylester has a low potential to bioaccumulate.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

Experimental data investigating the bioaccumulation potential of Fatty acids, C8-12, isopentylesterare not available. The substance components are characterised by a log Pow > 5 indicating a potential to bioaccumulate in biota. However, the information gathered on environmental behaviour and metabolism in combination with the QSAR-estimated BCF values provide enough evidence (in accordance with REACh Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, Annex XI General rules for adaptation of the standard testing regime set out in Annexes VII to X, 1.2, to cover the data requirements of Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, Annex IX) to state that the substances is not likely to bioaccumulate.

The substance is considered readily biodegradable and is insoluble in water (water solubility: 2 - 50 µg/L at 20 °C). According to the Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.7b, readily biodegradable substances are expected to undergo rapid and ultimate degradation in most environments, including biological Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). Furthermore, the guidance document states that once insoluble chemicals enter a standard STP, they will be extensively removed in the primary settling tank and fat trap and thus, only limited amounts will get in contact with activated sludge organisms (ECHA, 2014). Therefore, after passing through conventional STPs, only low concentrations of these substances are likely to be (if at all) released into the environment. If released to the water the substance will tend to bind to sediment and other particulate organic matter due to their hydrophobicity and relatively high adsorption potential. Thus, the most relevant exposure route for aquatic organisms such as fish will be via food ingestion or contact with suspended solids. If the substance is ingested by organisms a fast metabolisation is expected. The substance is expected to be hydrolysed by lipases. The resulting free fatty acids and alcohols are absorbed from the intestine into the blood stream. The alcohols are metabolised primarily in the liver through a series of oxidative steps, finally yielding carbon dioxide (Berg et al. , 2001). Fatty acids are either metabolised via the beta-oxidation pathway in order to generate energy for the cell or reconstituted into glyceride esters and stored in the fat depots in the body (Berg et al., 2001). Lipids and their constituents, fatty acids, are in particularly a major organic constituent of fish and play major roles as sources of metabolic energy (Tocher, 2003). The main route of excretion is via expired air as CO2, and the second route of excretion is by biliary excretion and faeces.

According to the Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment, Chapter R.7c (ECHA, 2014), even though ready biodegradability does not per se preclude bioaccumulation potential, generally (depending on exposure and uptake rates) ready biodegradable substances are likely to be rapidly metabolised, and therefore, concentrations stored in aquatic organisms will tend to be low.
Estimated bioconcentration (BCF) and bioaccumulation (BAF) values were calculated for the substance using the BCFBAF v3.01 program (Estimation Programs Interface Suite™ for Microsoft® Windows v 4.10., US EPA), assuming biotransformation (Arnot-Gobas method). The estimated BCF values ranging from 122.1 – 203.1 L/kg calculated for the main components. The calculated BAF values for the main substance components ranged between 138 L/kg and 224.6 L/kg (BCFBAF v3.01, Arnot-Gobas, including biotransformation, upper trophic).

Thus, taking all available information into account, Fatty acids, C8-12, isopentylester has a low potentialto bioaccumulate.