Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets
Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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
Use of this information is subject to copyright laws and may require the permission of the owner of the information, as described in the ECHA Legal Notice.
EC number: 500-209-1 | CAS number: 68412-54-4 1 - 2.5 moles ethoxylated
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
Biodegradation in water: screening tests
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
Based on available evidence, NPEO can be considered as not persistent in the environment.
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
A study was conducted to evaluate the ready biodegradability of NPE-1.5 (a commercial product, 100% purity) and NPE-9 (a commercial product, purity not indicated) using sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant as the microbial seed. The procedure followed OECD Guideline 301B, in compliance with GLP. The test substance with the standard nutrient medium inoculated with inoculum (30 mg suspended solids/L) was kept in bottles (in darkness) at 22± 2°C for 35 days. A blank control, reference material (sodium benzoate) and a toxicity control were run in parallel for validation purposes. Carbon dioxide traps were removed and analysed on Days 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 13, 22, 28 and 35. Test substance and dissolved oxygen concentrations for each test medium were determined on Days 15 and 35. The reference material attained 95.4% degradation after 35 days. NPE-1.5 attained 45.3% degradation after 28 days and 58.7% after 35 days. NPE-1.5 therefore cannot be considered to be readily degradable under the conditions of OECD Guideline 301B but the but the high level of degradation obtained suggests that it would be inherently biodegradable. NPE-9 attained 74.8% degradation after 28 days and 79.5% after 35 days but failed the 10-day window (Gledhill WE, 1999) . It could be considered ‘readily biodegradable but failing the 10 d window’. Based on this data, Staples CA et al. (2001) calculated first order half-lives (primary degradation) of 18.9 days (NPE-1.5, lag time = 9 days) and 13.6 days (NPE-9, lag time = 1 day).
In another study, NP (95.6% p-NP, the rest o-NP) was tested for ready biodegradability according to OECD Guideline 301F, in compliance with GLP. NP and the mineral medium inoculated with activated sludge were kept in respirometer flasks at 22°C for 28 days. The consumption of oxygen was determined by measuring the quantity of oxygen produced electrolytically that is required to maintain constant gas volume in the respirometer flask. A blank control and a reference material (sodium benzoate) were run in parallel for validation purposes. The reference material attained 94% degradation after 28 days. NP reached 62% degradation within 28 days but did not meet the 10-day window and can therefore considered to be ‘readily biodegradable but failing the 10 d window’ (Staples CA et al., 1999).
There are numerous papers studying the degradation behavior of NPEOs in the environment. Most deal with the more common longer-chain ethoxylates (NPE-8 and 9) and often with linear ethoxylation chains. Overall, the evidence shows that NPEOs are not persistent, the degradation rate depending on the environmental conditions (ECB, 2002). Longer chain NP ethoxylates are rapidly converted to NPE-1 and NPE-2, then further to the corresponding carboxylates or NP (ECHA, 2013). The carboxylates and NP are broken down at a slower pace but may eventually be degraded completely to CO2 and water. Degradation rate is affected by the degree of branching and is faster for linear versus branched isomers (Environment Canada, 2001).
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
Reproduction or further distribution of this information may be subject to copyright protection. Use of the information without obtaining the permission from the owner(s) of the respective information might violate the rights of the owner.