Vinyl chloroacetate

PBT assessment

PBT assessment: overall result

PBT status:

the substance is not PBT / vPvB

Justification:

Persistence

Vinyl chloroacetate (VCA) is highly reactive in water and degrades quickly by abiotic degradation (half-life of 3.92h at pH 4 and 1.22h at pH 7) to form chloroacetic acid and acetaldehyde. Therefore, VCA is not considered persistent. In accordance with ECHA Endpoint Specific Guidance r.7b, considering that VCA degrades rapidly in water, it was recommended to assess the ready biodegradability of the substance based on the ready biodegradability of its degradation products. Ready biodegradability studies were identified in the literature indicating that chloroacetic acid and acetaldehyde are both readily biodegradable.

Considering that VCA degrades rapidly in water to form readily biodegradable degradation products, it can be concluded that VCA is not deemed to be persistent or very persistent. 

 

Bioaccumulation

VCA hydrolyses rapidly in water (half-life of 3.92h at pH 4 and 1.22h at pH 7) and releases chloroacetic acid and acetaldehyde as main degradation products. In accordance with Annex VII of REACH, Column 2, a study could not be conducted due to the degradation of the substance in water. Reliable data on the partition coefficient of chloroacetic acid and acetaldehyde were identified in the literature, indicating that these substances have a log Kow of 0.22 and 0.63 respectively. Therefore both degradation products have a Log Kow below 4.5.

Since VCA degrades rapidly in water to form degradation products whose Log Kow are below the threshold of 4.5, the registered substance is not deemed to be bioaccumulative or very bioaccumulative. 

 

Toxicity

The substance does not meet the criteria for classification as carcinogenic in Category 1A or 1B, germ cell mutagenic in Category 1A or 1B, toxic for reproduction in Category 1A, 1B and/or 2, or specific target organ toxic after repeated dose in Category 1 or 2 according to Regulation (EC) N° 1272/2008. No data on long-term toxicity to marine/freshwater organisms is available. Therefore screening criteria described in ECHA Chapter R.11: PBT/vPvB assessment (Version 2.0 - November 2014) were used in order to assess if the substance is to be considered as T.

VCA hydrolyses rapidly in water (half-life of 3.92h at pH 4 and 1.22h at pH 7) and releases chloroacetic acid and acetaldehyde as main degradation products. Therefore, the toxicity to the aquatic environment of VCA will be driven by the toxicity of its degradation products. Reliable data on the toxicity of chloroacetic acid and acetaldehyde to freshwater fish, aquatic invertebrates, and algae were identified in the literature. These data were used in order to assess the toxicity of VCA to the aquatic environment. Algae was identified as the most sensitive trophic level with a 48h EC50 of 0.03584 mg/l. According to the screening criteria for toxicity laid down in ECHA Chapter R.11: PBT/vPvB assessment (Version 2.0 - November 2014), the substance is to be considered as "potentially T" due to the lowest EC50 calculated for VCA being below 0.1 mg/L.

 

VCA does not meet the PBT and the vPvB criteria.