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Environmental fate & pathways

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

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Description of key information

Dissociation products of dissolved methoxyammoniumchlorid are methanol and the hydroxylamine base. While methanol is readily biodegradable (cf. Wagner 1976, Price et al. 1974), hydroxylamine decomposes very quickly under environmental conditions and products may be used in nitrification processes. Furthermore, hydroxylamine is a natural intermediate in biological nitrification under aerobic conditions.

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Additional information

Summary according to the aquatic biodegradation as given EU-RAR draft 14. May 2008 on the analogue substance Bis(hydroxylammonium)sulphate

In an aqueous environment [...], the hydroxylammonium ion is expected to react to hydroxylamine (free base) and hydrogen. Hydroxyl-ammonium ion and hydroxylamine (free base) are in equilibrium according to the following reaction scheme:

[NH3-OH]+ < --> NH2-OH + H+

The estimated pKa for this reaction is 5.8. The amount of hydroxylammonium ion decreases rapidly at pH-values above 5. Only in very acidic environment, the substance is present as hydroxyl-ammonium ion. At pH 7, the amount of hydroxyl-ammonium ion is approximately 6 %, and at pH 8 nearly only the free base is present.

The free hydroxylamine base is very reactive and, at environmental conditions, is expected to decompose further by abiotic processes and nitrification. The expected ultimate degradation products are ammonia, nitrogen and water (Hollemann-Wiberg, 1995).

2NH2OH -->  NH3+ HNO + H2O

2HNO    -->  N2O + H2O

NH2OH + HNO -->  N2+ 2H2O

For several chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, such asNitrosomas europea,Nitrosomas nitrosaandNitrosococcus oceanus, mixotrophic growth on hydroxylamine in the presence of ammonia has been demonstrated (Böttcher and Koops 1994, de Brujin et al. 1995).

Reference:

Hollemann-Wiberg (1995): Lehrbuch der Anorganischen Chemie, de Gruyter, p. 702-704

Böttcher B, Koops HP (1994). Growth of lithotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria on hydroxylamine. FEMS Microbiol Lett 122: 263-266

De Brujin P et al.(1995). Growth of Nitrosomonas europaea on hydroxylamine. FEMS Microbiol Lett 125: 179-184

ECB (2008). EU-RAR Draft, Bis-(hydroxylammonium)sulphate, CAS: 10039 -54 -0,14. May 2008