Reaction mass of Ethanaminium, 2-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-N-[2-[(1-oxooctadecyl)oxy]ethyl]-, chloride and Ethanaminium, N,N-dimethyl-2-[(1-oxohexadecyl)oxy]-N-[2-[(1-oxooctadecyl)oxy]ethyl]-, chloride

Biodegradation in water: screening tests

Description of key information

readily biodegradable under aerobic conditions and fulfilling the 10-day window citeria: > 60% biodegradation based on CO2 (test concentrations: 10 and 20 mg/L); OECD Guideline 301B; RL2, GLP; read-across MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd.
readily biodegradable under anaerobic conditions: 90.9% and 89.4% based on TIC (test concentrations: 50 and 75 mg C/L); ECETOC Anaerobic Biodegradation, Technical report number 28 (comparable to OECD Guideline 311); RL1, GLP; read-across MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Biodegradation in water:

readily biodegradable

Additional information

No experimental data are available for the target substance MDEA-Esterquat C18 satd. However, studies on biodegradation under aerobic and anearobic conditions are available for the structurally related source substance MDEA-Esterquat C16 -18 and C18 unsatd.. A justification for read-across is given in the general endpoint summary "Environmental fate and pathways".

Ready and inherent biodegradability tests

The biodegradation of the structurally similar source substance MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd. was studied in accordance with the OECD TG 301B and in compliance with GLP standards for 28 d. MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd. was applied at 2 concentrations of 10 and 20 mg/L. CO2 production was analysed at day 0 and after 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14, 18, 22, and 28 days of incubation. The two test treatments (10 and 20 mg/L) reached > 60% CO2 production and met the 10 -d window. Therefore MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd.  fulfills the OECD criteria of ready biodegradability.

Anaerobic biodegradation

The anaerobic biodegradation of the structurally similar source substance MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd. was studied during a period of 61 d using anaerobic digester fermenting sludge obtained from a dairy and municipal waste water treatment plant in accordance with the ECETOC Technical report number 28 (comparable to OECD 311), and in compliance with GLP standards. MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd.  was applied at concentrations of 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg C/L. At test concentrations of 50 and 75 mg C/L the degradation (based on total inorganic carbon both in gaseous and liquid phase) was 90.9% and 89.4%, respectively. The test substance MDEA-Esterquat C16-18 and C18 unsatd.  can be defined as "highly biodegradable" under the anaerobic conditions of the test.