Assessment of the safety of dioctyl adipate in freshwater environments

Abstract

AbstractA safety assessment of dioctyl adipate (DOA) in freshwater environments was conducted. DOA is relatively insoluble in water and is likely to partition to sediment and biota in the aquatic environment. Biodegradation was found to be rapid and extensive under conditions simulating sewage systems and the natural environment. Measured environmental concentrations of DOA averaged less than 0.5 μg/L in natural surface waters. DOA was not acutely toxic to algae and fish at or above its water solubility of 0.78 ± 0.16 mg/L. It was acutely and chronically toxic to Daphnia magna at 480 to 850 and 24 to 52 μg/L, respectively. A bioconcentration study with bluegill showed that DOA is not an accumulative or persistent chemical in this species. The mean 28‐d bioconcentration factor was 27. A comparison of the mean environmental water concentrations of DOA with laboratory chronic toxicity values for D. magna showed a safety margin of approximately three orders of magnitude. The conclusion drawn from this environmental safety assessment is that, under present use and disposal patterns, DOA presents a small hazard to the freshwater aquatic environment.