ECETOC Joint Assessment of Commodity Chemicals No. 38 Monochloroacetic Acid (CAS No. 79-11-8) and its Sodium Salt (CAS No. 3926-62-3) European Centre for Ecotoxicology Avenue E Nieuwenhuyse 4 (Bte 6) and Toxicology of Chemicals B - 1160 Brussels, Belgium Joint Assessment of Commodity Chemicals No. 38 Monochloroacetic Acid (CAS No. 79-11-8) and its Sodium Salt (CAS No. 3926-62-3) June 1999 ISSN-0773-6339-38 Brussels, June 1999 © ECETOC copyright 1999 Monochloroacetic Acid (CAS No. 79-11-8) and its Sodium Salt (CAS No. 3926-62-3) CONTENTS The ECETOC Scheme for the Joint Assessment of Commodity Chemicals ………………………..i 1. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.....................................................................................................1 2. IDENTITY, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, ANALYTICAL METHODS ......................4 2.1 IDENTITY..................................................................................................................................4 2.2 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES............................................................................4 2.3 CONVERSION FACTORS .......................................................................................................7 2.4 ANALYTICAL METHODS.........................................................................................................7 2.4.1 In air.............................................................................................................................7 2.4.2 In water ........................................................................................................................7 2.4.3 In biological media.......................................................................................................8 3. PRODUCTION, STORAGE, TRANSPORT AND USE ......................................................................9 3.1 PRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................9 3.1.1 MCAA ..........................................................................................................................9 3.1.2 SMCA ..........................................................................................................................9 3.2 STORAGE ................................................................................................................................9 3.2.1 MCAA ..........................................................................................................................9 3.2.2 SMCA ..........................................................................................................................9 3.3 TRANSPORT..........................................................................................................................10 3.3.1 MCAA ........................................................................................................................10 3.3.2 SMCA ........................................................................................................................10 3.4 USE.........................................................................................................................................10 4. ENVIRONMENTAL DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSFORMATION....................................................11 4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES/EMISSIONS .........................................................................11 4.1.1 Natural sources .........................................................................................................11 4.1.2 Anthropogenic emissions ..........................................................................................11 4.1.3 Concentrations in the environment............................................................................12 4.2 ENVIRONMENTAL DISTRIBUTION ......................................................................................12 4.3 ENVIRONMENTAL FATE AND BIOTRANSFORMATION.....................................................13 4.3.1 Atmospheric Fate ......................................................................................................13 4.3.2 Aquatic Fate...............................................................................................................13 4.3.3 Terrestrial Fate ..........................................................................................................13 4.3.4 Biodegradation...........................................................................................................14 4.3.5 Bioaccumulation ........................................................................................................16 4.3.6 Abiotic Degradation ...................................................................................................17 4.4 EVALUATION .........................................................................................................................17 5. EFFECTS ON ORGANISMS IN THE ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................18 5.1 MICRO-ORGANISMS.............................................................................................................18 5.2 AQUATIC ORGANISMS.........................................................................................................20 5.2.1 Algae..........................................................................................................................20 5.2.2 Aquatic Invertebrates.................................................................................................21 5.2.3 Aquatic Vertebrates ...................................................................................................22 5.3 TERRESTRIAL ORGANISMS ................................................................................................24 5.3.1 Field studies...............................................................................................................24 5.3.2 Accidental exposure ..................................................................................................24 5.3.3 Plant toxicity...............................................................................................................25 5.4 EVALUATION .........................................................................................................................25 6. HUMAN EXPOSURE LEVELS AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE STANDARDS .....................26 6.1 NON-OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE .....................................................................................26 6.2 OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE ..............................................................................................27 6.2.1 Skin............................................................................................................................27 6.2.2 Inhalation ...................................................................................................................27 6.3 OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE STANDARDS .......................................................................29 6.4. EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................29 7. TOXICOKINETICS AND METABOLISM .........................................................................................30 7.1 ABSORPTION, DISTRIBUTION AND ELIMINATION ............................................................30 7.1.1 Human data ...............................................................................................................30 7.1.2 Animal data................................................................................................................30 7.2 BIOTRANSFORMATION........................................................................................................35 7.3 EVALUATION .........................................................................................................................37 8. BIOCHEMICAL AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ACUTE MCAA INTOXICATION................................................................................................................................38 8.1 INDUCTION OF LACTIC ACIDOSIS BY MCAA IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS ...................38 8.2 BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF MCAA TOXICITY .........................................................................38 8.3 PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MCAA INTOXICATION.........................................39 9. EFFECTS ON EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS AND IN VITRO TEST SYSTEMS ..............................40 9.1 ACUTE TOXICITY..................................................................................................................40 9.1.1 Oral...............................................................................................................................40 9.1.2 Dermal..........................................................................................................................40 9.1.3 Inhalation......................................................................................................................41 9.1.4 Parenteral Routes ........................................................................................................42 9.1.5 Evaluation.....................................................................................................................42 9.2 IRRITATION OF SKIN, EYE AND RESPIRATORY TRACT, AND SENSITISATION .............50 9.2.1 Skin Irritation ................................................................................................................50