Quaternary ammonium compounds, C20-22-alkyltrimethyl, chlorides

Endpoint summary

Description of key information

 

Aquatic bioaccumulation

An uptake of all analyzed compounds C18_ATQ, C20_ATQ and C22_ATQ of the test item in fish was observed. Since no steady-state phase was reached during uptake, no steady-state bioconcentration factors were calculated. The kinetic bioconcentration factors have been calculated based on fish body weight and time-weighted average mean measured concentrations of the test item compounds C18_ATQ, C20_ATQ and C22_ATQ in water during uptake phase.

The results showed an ambiguous finding regarding the carbon chain length. Due to the high adsorption of the test substance it can be assumed that a certain amount of the substance is adsorbed on the fish skin. In order to differentiate between the fraction on the fish skin and the fraction in the fish fillet, further investigations were necessary. The results of this distribution in fish (fillet and skin) ends in the following BCFs

 

Nominal test concentration [µg/L]		5.00	20.0
BCFKGL	C18_ATQ	1787	957
	C20_ATQ	1263	920
	C22_ATQ	691	351
Weighted BCFKGL [L * kg^-1]		835	465

 

All BCFs of the 3 chain lengths and of the two concentrations are below 2000.

 

Terrestrial bioaccumulation                                                                                   

 

C20/22 ATQ is a quaternary substance and positively charged. It is known that ionic compound has a low potential to cross membranes. In addition, C20/22 ATQ has a low measured Log Kow of 3.3 (see IUCLID Section 4.7) and therefore a bioaccumulation potential in soil is unlikely. It can be concluded that the substance is rapidly biodegraded/transformed in soils (see IUCLID Section 5.2.3). The half-life determined from three different soils for C22-ATQ was 28.5 days (geometric mean).