Reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide

Ecotoxicological Summary

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Hazard for air

Air

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no hazard identified

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:

no potential for bioaccumulation

Additional information

PNECs Freshwater - Marine water - Intermitted release

Based on environmental toxicity data and in consideration of the potential environmental toxicodynamic (via, if at all, a temporary pH effect) and the likely environmental fate (via inclusion in the natural clay fraction, respectively dissolution into common environmental constituents - calcium, aluminium, phosphate -), substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and aluminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not expected to take relevant toxic effects to the aquatic environment.

Most probably, if released to the environment, the inorganic, sparingly soluble crystalline solid of lamellar clay mineral (hydrocalumite)-like substance will end up in the sediment or soil compartment by sedimentation comparable to natural clay minerals. This fate is not expected to result in any negative environmental impact (c.f. G.E. Batley and M.J. McLaughlin CSIRO Niche Manufacturing Flagship Report, Fate of Manufactured Nanomaterials in the Australian Environment, prepared for the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (March 2010), available via Internet https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/371475a0-2195-496d-91b2-0a33f9342a6d/files/manufactured-nanomaterials.pdf).

Transformation by normal environmental processes (e.g. diagenesis or dissolution) is not expected to result in any negative environmental impact either, as the substance does only comprise of nonhazardous common environmental elements.

In accordance with REACH Regulation, Annex IX, 9.1.5, and 9.1.6, column 2, long-term studies on invertebrates and fish do not need to be conducted. Tests for long-term toxicity on fish or invertebratae are only required, if the chemical safety assessment according to REACH Regulation, Annex I, indicates the need to investigate further the effects on aquatic organisms. The choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the results of the chemical safety assessment. The abiotic dissociation of substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" in water will result in common environmental constituents - calcium, aluminium, phosphate. Calcium and phosphate are essential for almost all living organisms including fresh- and saltwater fish and invertebrates and natural constituents of their habitats. Aluminium is the most abundant metallic element of the earth´s crust, and thus together with the further moieties of the reaction mass also a natural component in environmental habitats. Therefore, substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not expected to have a relevant intrinsic toxic activity to aquatic organisms. Noticed toxicity in the acute tests is most probably triggered by a pH effect. Dissociation of the reaction mass under the conditions of OECD Guidelines 112 or 105 resulted in a pKa of 10.1 and pH of 11.4, respectively. However, natural waters do have a sufficient buffering capacity to overcome this effect and moreover, as discussed for NaOH in the respective EU Risk assessment (c.f. EU RAR sodium hydroxide (2007; http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/0ded9c53-4082-405b-b09a-e16e57e158af), "generic PNECs cannot be derived from single-species toxicity data for NaOH" (as a pH-active substance) "as the pH of natural waters as well as the buffer capacity of natural waters show considerable differences and aquatic organisms/ecosystems are adapted to these specific natural conditions, resulting in different pH optima and pH ranges that are tolerated (see Section 3.1.4.2). According to OECD (2002) a lot of information is available about the relationship between pH and ecosystem structure and also natural variations in pH of aquatic ecosystems have been quantified and reported extensively in ecological publications and handbooks." Comparable discussions are also included in several OECD HPV SIDS documents on inorganic alkaline substances dissolving in common environmental constituents (e.g. c.f. http://www.inchem.org/documents/sids/sids/Naco.pdf).

Therefore, substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not expected to have a relevant intrinsic toxic activity to aquatic organisms and respective PNECs were not derived.

PNEC STP

From the results of a test according to OECD guideline 209, April 04, 1984 and EU method C11, May 05, 1988, it can be stated that substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" poses no hazard to the microbiological activity in sewage treatment plants. Therefore, no PNEC was derived.

PNECs Sediment freshwater and marine water

Based on environmental toxicity data and in consideration of the potential environmental toxicodynamic (via, if at all, a temporary pH effect) and the likely environmental fate (via inclusion in the natural clay fraction, respectively dissolution into common environmental constituents - calcium, aluminium, phosphate -), substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and aluminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not expected to take relevant toxic effects to sediment organisms.

Furthermore, the use of the substance on workplaces is controlled and widespread exposure to the environment is not expected. In service life, the substance is embedded in polymer matrices from which there is no release of substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide". Sediment exposure to the substance is unlikely. In addition, substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is an inorganic, sparingly soluble crystalline solid of lamellar clay mineral (hydrocalumite) -like substance. Although, if released to the environment, the substance most probably will end up in the sediment or soil compartment by sedimentation comparable to natural clay minerals, this fate is not expected to result in any negative environmental impact (c. f. G. E. Batley and M. J. McLaughlin CSIRO Niche Manufacturing Flagship Report, Fate of Manufactured Nanomaterials in the Australian Environment, prepared for the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (March 2010), available via Internet https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/371475a0-2195-496d-91b2-0a33f9342a6d/files/manufactured-nanomaterials.pdf).

Therefore, substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not expected to have a relevant intrinsic toxic activity to sediment organisms and PNECs were not derived.

PNEC Air

The predicted vapour pressure for substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is below 10exp-10 Pa. As such, vapour pressure testing was not conducted as the results were expected to be below the detection limits of the experimental methods. Given the very low vapour pressure of the substances, the air compartment is not expected to be a relevant route of exposure and a PNEC Air was not derived.

PNEC Soil

Based on environmental toxicity data and in consideration of the potential environmental toxicodynamic (via, if at all, a temporary pH effect) and the likely environmental fate (via inclusion in the natural clay fraction, respectively dissolution into common environmental constituents - calcium, aluminium, phosphate -), substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and aluminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not expected to take relevant toxic effects to terrestrial organisms.

Furthermore, the use of the substance on workplaces is controlled and widespread exposure to the environment is not expected. In service life, the substance is embedded in polymer matrices from which there is no release of substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide". Soil exposure to the substance is unlikely. In addition, substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is an inorganic, sparingly soluble crystalline solid of lamellar clay mineral (hydrocalumite) -like substance. Although, if released to the environment, the substance most probably will end up in the sediment or soil compartment by sedimentation comparable to natural clay minerals, this fate is not expected to result in any negative environmental impact (c. f. G. E. Batley and M. J. McLaughlin CSIRO Niche Manufacturing Flagship Report, Fate of Manufactured Nanomaterials in the Australian Environment, prepared for the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (March 2010), available via Internet https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/371475a0-2195-496d-91b2-0a33f9342a6d/files/manufactured-nanomaterials.pdf). Thus a PNEC for soil was not derived.

PNEC Secondary poisoning

Available mammalian toxicity data give no evidence for toxic properties of the substance and as the substance is not expected to bioaccumulate in living organisms, secondary poisoning through the food chain is considered of no concern for wild living mammals or birds. Moreover, the use of the substance on workplaces is controlled and widespread exposure to the environment is not expected. In service life, the substance is embedded in polymer matrices from which there is no release of substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide". Environmental exposure to the substance is unlikely. In addition, substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and dialuminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is an inorganic, sparingly soluble crystalline solid of lamellar clay mineral (hydrocalumite) -like substance. If released to the environment, the substance most probably will end up in the sediment or soil compartment by sedimentation comparable to natural clay minerals, this fate is not expected to result in any negative environmental impact (c. f. G. E. Batley and M. J. McLaughlin CSIRO Niche Manufacturing Flagship Report, Fate of Manufactured Nanomaterials in the Australian Environment, prepared for the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (March 2010), available via Internet https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/371475a0-2195-496d-91b2-0a33f9342a6d/files/manufactured-nanomaterials.pdf).

Conclusion on classification

Based on environmental toxicity data and in consideration of the potential environmental toxicodynamic (via, if at all, a temporary pH effect) and the likely environmental fate (via inclusion in the natural clay fraction, respectively dissolution into common environmental constituents - calcium, aluminium, phosphate -), substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and aluminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not expected to take relevant toxic effects to the environment.

In accordance with CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, substance "reaction mass of calcium hydrogen phosphonate and aluminium tricalcium hexaoxide" is not classified for environmental toxicity and labelling is not required.