Fatty acids, C18-unsaturated, reaction products with amines, polyethylenepoly-, (tetraethylenepentamine, pentaethylenehexamine, hexaethyleneheptamine fractions)

Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates

Description of key information

Four short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates studies are available for the alkyl amidoamines/imidazolines. Three of these tests were  performed without chemical analyses due to the absence of the suitable analytical method at the time these tests were performed. Due to the problems expected to produce stable test solutions the reliability of these results is seriously questioned. Based on this limited reliability of these studies it was decided to perform in addition to the study from Gancet (2009) a number of higher tier chronic invertebrate studies. The 21d EC50 values can be used as a worst-case as acute endpoints.  

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water invertebrates

Fresh water invertebrates

Effect concentration:

0.18 mg/L

Additional information

Like for the acute fish studies, most of the short-term daphnia tests were conducted in a period when no reliable specific method of analyses was available. Hence, most of the tests were considered to be valid with restrictions. The key study is the most recent study from Gancet (2009). No significant difference in toxicity in the refined test with river water has been observed between the different amidoamine/imidazoline products. In addition to the available acute studies it was decided to perform a number of higher tier chronic invertebrate studies as the substances are poorly soluble in water and exposure in most acute tests was not quantified. The 21d EC50 values should be used as short term endpoints as a worst-case.