Fatty acids, C5-10, esters with pentaerythritol

Short-term toxicity to fish

Link to relevant study record(s)

Reference

Endpoint:

short-term toxicity to fish

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

07 Jan - 11 Jan 1991

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: GLP-Guideline study with acceptable restrictions: No monitoring of the test substance is performed. Analytical purity of the test substance not stated.

Qualifier:

equivalent or similar to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 203 (Fish, Acute Toxicity Test)

GLP compliance:

yes

Analytical monitoring:

no

Vehicle:

no

Details on test solutions:

PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF TEST SOLUTION
- Method: The test solutions were prepared by direct addition of 1000 mg of test material per litre. The test solutions were then stirred thoroughly.

Test organisms (species):

Oncorhynchus mykiss (previous name: Salmo gairdneri)

Details on test organisms:

TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: rainbow trout
- Source: Upwey Trout Farm, Dorset, UK
- Feeding during test: none
- Other: The last medication given to the fish was a 1 mg/l treatment of malachite green on 30 November 1990 (5 weeks prior to the test).

ACCLIMATION
- Acclimation period: 1 week
- Acclimation conditions: same as test, 15 ± 1°C, glass aquaria
- Type and amount of food: BP Mainstream (batch ref FF123)
- Feeding frequency: The fish was not fed for 24 h prior to the start of the test.
- Health during acclimation: No mortality was observed.

Test type:

semi-static

Water media type:

freshwater

Limit test:

yes

Total exposure duration:

96 h

Hardness:

37.3 - 38.0 mg/l as CaCO3

Test temperature:

14.4 - 15.2 °C

pH:

7.93 - 8.18

Dissolved oxygen:

8.8 - 9.8 mg/L

Nominal and measured concentrations:

Nominal: 1000 mg/L

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test vessel: vessels
- Material, size, fill volume: glass vessels, 17 L, 15 L
- Aeration: gentle aeration
- Renewal rate of test solution: every 24 hours
- No. of organisms per vessel: 10
- No. of vessels per concentration: 2
- No. of vessels per control: 1

TEST MEDIUM / WATER PARAMETERS
- Source/preparation of dilution water: Dechlorinated tap water supplied from a 100 m³ reservoir with an average retention time of 24 hours. It was
passed through activated carbon, filtered to remove particulate material and dechlorinated with sodium thiosulphate. The treated water was then held in a secondary reservoir with a capacity of 36 m³ and an average retention time of 8 hours. It was delivered to the laboratory via a temperature controlled header tank at a nominal temperature of 15°C.
- Chlorine: < 4 µg/L Cl2
- Alkalinity: 20.4 mg/L as CaCO3
- Conductivity: 138 ± 3 µS/cm
- Intervals of water quality measurement:Temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen were measured daily.

OTHER TEST CONDITIONS
- Photoperiod: 16 h light/ 8 h dark
- Light: Daylight and artificial lighting

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED: Mortalities and symptoms of toxicity were recorded at at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours test duration.

Reference substance (positive control):

no

Key result

Duration:

96 h

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

> 1 000 mg/L

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Remarks on result:

other: No toxicity in the range of water solubility

Key result

Duration:

96 h

Dose descriptor:

NOEC

Effect conc.:

>= 1 000 mg/L

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Remarks on result:

other: No toxicity in the range of water solubility

Details on results:

- Other biological observations: In one of the tanks (1000(B)), a partial effect was noted, some of the fish becoming darkly discoloured. This was not significant.
- Mortality of control: no
- Any observations (e.g. precipitation) that might cause a difference between measured and nominal values: The test material did not dissolve completely in the dilution water.

Validity criteria fulfilled:

yes

Conclusions:

No mortalities were observed in the dilution water control and at 1000 mg/L (nominal) during the 96 h exposure. Accordingly, an 96h-LC50 (96h) is determined to be > 1000 mg/L (nominal) and the 96h-NOEC is determined to be ≥ 1000 mg/L. Thus, no mortality within the water solubility of the substance was observed under conditions tested.

Description of key information

No effects up to the limit of water solubility for Salmo gairdneri (OECD 203)

Additional information

One study, investigating the short-term toxicity to freshwater fish, was available for pentaerythritol tetraesters of n-decanoic, n-heptanoic, n-octanoic and n-valeric acids (CAS 68424-31-7). This semi-static study (Combert and Caunter, 1991) with Salmo gairdneri equivalent or similar to OECD 203 determined LC50 (96h) > 1000 mg/L (nominal). No mortality was observed within the tested concentration (1000 mg/L nominal) during 96h exposure. As the test material did not dissolved completely in the dilution water, the tested concentration demonstrated a worst case. Due to the low water solubility of the test substance (< 1 mg/l), no toxicity was observed in the range of water solubility of the test substance. Therefore, the substance is not harmful to fish.