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Environmental fate & pathways

Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment

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Description of key information

Bioaccumulation in organisms is negligible, due to biotransformation and excretion of alcohol ethoxylates.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

In a publication on the bioconcentration of alkylethoxylates Tolls et al. (2000) reported BCF-values ranging from <5 to 387.5 whereas uptake rates varied from 330 to 1660 (L x kg/d) and elimination rates varied from 3.3 to 59 per day. The authors stated that the time of steady state and the BCF for AE increase with increasing chain length of alkyl chain and decreasing length of the ethoxylate chain. The alcohol ethoxylate with alkyl-chain length comparable to the given substance is C16EO8. For this alcohol ethoxylate Tolls et al. (2000) reported a BCF-value of 387.5 L/kg.

The authors further concluded that the high values of elimination rate constants suggest that the tested fathead minnow efficiently biotransform alcohol ethoxylate, thereby preventing them from attaining high concentrations in fish.