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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Experimental studies are available for the tri and tetramethyl glycol ethers (2 -(2 -(2 -methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethanol and tetramethyl glycol) in fish. These studies show that the substance is effectively non toxic to fish with LC0 values above 20000mg/l. A QSAR confirms this and also shows that with increasing numbers of ethylene oxide units in the molecule, the toxicity further decreases. There is no data available on marine fish.

Measured data for the substance tetraethylene glycol methyl ether (TetraEGME) established that the short term EC50 was around 22900mg/l in daphnia. A limit dose study using the substance 2 -(2 -(2 -methoxyethoxy)ethoxy ethanol (TEGME or triethylene glycol methyl ether) established that the EC0 was in excess of the maximum tested dose of 500mg/L. A QSAR model predicts that with increasing numbers of ethylene oxide units in the molecule, the toxicity decreases. There is no data availalble on marine invertebrates.

In a growth inhibition acute toxicity test, the green algae Scenedesmus subspicatus were exposed to concentrations of 2 -(2 -(2 -methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethanol at concentrations up to 500mg/l for a period of 72 hours. No growth inhibition was seen, indicating that the substance is practically non-toxic to algae. Whilst only an EC20 is quoted (>500mg/l), it is assumed based on information available in this and other studies that this would be the same as the EC10. This result is supported by information from the ECOSAR QSAR model, which predicts that the 96hr EC50 value for algae would be 14100mg/l and the 96hr NOEC 1800mg/l. The toxicity of this homologous series is predicted to decrease with increasing molecular weight with TetraEGME having EC50/10 values double those of TEGME. The NOEC value for DEGME does not appear to be underestimated based on the measured data. Therefore the QSAR values are used as a basis for the EC50 and EC10 values.

Toxicity data is available for a methyl tetraglycol in micro-organisms.  Against a broad spectrum micro-organisms mixture an IC10 of 10000mg/l and an IC50 of 23500mg/l was established when tested using the substance. In an activated sludge respiration inhibition test, no inhibition was found up to the maximum tested concentration of 2000mg/l with the substance triethylene glycol methyl ether. In a Microtox assay using the same substance and a photobacterium, the IC50 was not reached up to the maximum tested concentration of 50000mg/l.