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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Ecotoxicological information

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

Additional information

The aquatic toxicity of fatty acids has been evaluated in studies on fish, daphnids and algae as well as microorganisms. Most of the studies were conducted with fatty acid homologues. Most tests are available for the soluble octanoic acid C8 (CAS 124 -07 -2), the azelaic acid C9 (CAS 123 -99 -9), the decanoic acid C10 (CAS 334 -48 -5) and the lauric acid C12 (CAS 143 -07 -7). In addition some studies were conducted with the insoluble pure homologues myristic acid C14 (CAS 544 -63 -8), palmic acid C16 (CAS 57 -10 -3) and stearic acid C18 (CAS 57 -11 -4) and certain mixtures. In case of C16 - 18 fatty acids (CAS 67701 -03 -5) only one fish study is available. Regarding the composition of the mixture C16 and C18 are the main components (content of C16: 15 - 80% and content of C18: 25 - 65%). Thus, in addition, read-across is performed to studies available for these pure homologues.

Generally it could be stated that toxicity of fatty acids to aquatic organisms increases with increasing chain length up to the water solubility limit at a chain length of C12. For longer chains no effects at saturation are observed.

As the considered mixture contains only poorly soluble homologues, for which absence of acute and chronic effects on aquatic organisms could be proved in several tests, no risk for fish, daphnids and algae, as well as microorganisms are expected.