Trifluoro(tetrahydrofuran)boron

PBT assessment

PBT assessment: overall result

PBT status:

the substance is not PBT / vPvB

Justification:

In contact with water, tetrahydrofuran - boron trifluoride rapidly decomposes to form tetrahydrofuran and boron trifluoride dihydrate. The PBT assessment was consequently based on the properties of the hydrolysis products.

Tetrahydrofurane:

Although tetrahydrofuran does not meet the screening criteria for non-persistence stipulated in the ECHA Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment (Part C: PBT Assessment, ECHA 2008), it is not considered necessary to further evaluate persistence.  Several studies have been identified showing inherent biodegradability.

The measured Log Kow of 0.45 in the OECD 107 test indicates that tetrahydrofuran does not exceed the screening criteria for bioaccumulation stipulated in the ECHA guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment (Part C: PBT Assessment, 2008). Therefore, tetrahydrofuran is not considered to be bioaccumulative (B) or very bioaccumulative (vB).

Experimental ecotoxicity data are available for tetrahydrofuran. Acute toxicity to three freshwater trophic levels was low (all EC/LC50 > 100 mg/l) and are not sufficiently low enough to meet the screening criteria for toxicity (T) as stipulated in the ECHA Guidance. The chronic toxicity data also confirm that tetrahydrofuran does not meet the screening criteria for toxicity (T).

tetrahydrofuran is therefore not considered to be toxic (T) under these criteria.

In conclusiontetrahydrofurane does not fulfill the PBT and vPvB criteria.

Boron trifluoride:

 Boron trifluoride and its breakdown products are not expected to bioaccumulate in fish/earthworm tissues due to their high solubility and octanol-water partition coefficients which are quite low. Moreover due to the expected very short half-life in aqueous media (hydrolysis), boron trifluoride isnot expected to be persistent in aquatic and terrestrial media. Considering all those elements one can safely conclude that secondary poisoning is not expected as birds and terrestrial top predators will not be exposed to boron trifluoride and its breakdown products via food consumption.

-       Boron trifluoride and its breakdown productsfulfil the Toxic criterion: concerning the aquatic compartment EC50 or LC50 > 0.1 mg/L and NOEC for mammals > 30 mg/kg food. However, Boron trifluoride is classified as R48.

In conclusion Boron trifluoride does not fulfil the PBT/vPvB criteria.

Likely routes of exposure:

Because the substance does not fulfill the PBT and vPvB criteria, no emission characterisation is performed.