4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid

Endpoint summary

Description of key information

Two studies carried out under anaerobic conditions refer to the degradation of Ferulic acid in water. Although these suggest that Ferulic acid easily degrades in these conditions, those two testings do not allow to conclude on rapid degradability in the regulatory meaning of the term. Indeed, data regarding anaerobic degradation can not be used in relation to deciding whether a substance should be regarded as rapidly degradable, because the aquatic environment is generally regarded as the aerobic compartment where the aquatic organisms, such as those employed for aquatic hazard classification, live (A9.4.2.4.11).

Furthermore, Ferulic acid was subjected to soil biodegradation tests under aerobic conditions. Under certain conditions, results of that type of testing can be a sufficient documentation for a rapid degradation in surface waters. Indeed, It has been argued that for many non-sorptive (non-lipophilic) substances, more or less the same degradation rates are found in soil and in surface water. Unfortunately, the first study revealed a loss of the specifically labeled carbons as ¹⁴CO2 over a 4-week period (28 days) ranged from 34 to 72% and averaged 56 and 65% for the 100 and 1,000 ppm additions, respectively. The second study, for its part, revealed a great variability in Ferulic acid degradability depending on the type of soil and associated pH. Ferulic acid, present at 100 ppm in Chino (California) loam [pH 5.6] underwent 77% decomposition via ¹⁴CO2 evolution after 28 days while In San Jacinto (California) sandy loam [pH 8], 100 ppm ferulic acid underwent 13%. This lower level of decomposition was thought to be due to polymerization of Ferulic acid to humic acid type compounds.

 

Thus, in the absence of screening tests for ready biodegradability in aerobic aqueous media and according to the available biodegradability testings, Ferulic acid shall be considered as not rapidly degradable.