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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Environmental fate & pathways

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

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Administrative data

Link to relevant study record(s)

Description of key information

Waiver. Study scientifically unjustified.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Biodegradation in water:
readily biodegradable

Additional information

Olefines polymer, oxidized, hydrolyzed, distillation residues is a by-product of the C20 alcohols manufacturing process. It is a UVCB substance that comprises several linear long chain alcohols, predominantly docosan-1-ol (C22), tetracosan-1-ol (C24), hexacosan-1-ol (C26) and eicosan-1-ol (C20). Together, these substances make up over 80% of the composition of olefines polymer, oxidized, hydrolyzed, distillation residues. Other constituents include, to a much lesser extent, secondary long chain alcohols and complex mixtures of long chain carboxylate esters. On this basis, study data, where available, for each of the long chain alcohol constituents has been evaluated and considered together; this is consistent with the Category approach applied for Long Chain Alcohols (LCA) under REACH.  In a conservative approach the most sensitive study result from the constituents of the LCA category have been identified and used to address the endpoint in question.

Reliable studies (Klimisch score 2) were performed in accordance with OECD Guideline 301B (Ready Biodegradability: CO2 Evolution Test) on two primary constituents of olefines polymer, oxidized, hydrolyzed, distillation residues, icosan-1-ol and docosan-1-ol. 88.4% and 87.9% of icosan-1-ol and docosan-1-ol respectively degraded after 28 days with an unacclimated sewage sludge inoculum. The test substances also achieved 60% degradation within the 10-day window indicating ready biodegradability.  In two reliable studies by Flach (2012), the degradation of 2-decyltetradecanol and docosan-1 -ol were 84.9% and 87.5%, respectively, after 28 days with the degradation rate reaching more than 60% within the 10-day window. As these constituents are readily biodegradable, olefines polymers, oxidized, hydrolyzed, distillation residues can also be regarded as readily biodegradable. Minor residual constituents which include ethers and esters are also expected to degrade rapidly. It should be noted that these minor residual constituent degradation products of olefines polymer, oxidized, hydrolyzed, distillation residues are unlikely to be chemicals that might be a cause for concern.