Acrylonitrile

Mode of degradation in actual use

Administrative data

Endpoint:

mode of degradation in actual use

Type of information:

other: secondary source

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

4 (not assignable)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Studies reviewed in EU RAR

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

review article or handbook

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

2004

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

no guideline followed

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Information is provided from the EU RAR (2004) concerning the biodegredation of acrylonitrile in industrial plants

GLP compliance:

no

Remarks:

review article

Type of study / information:

Information is provided from the EU RAR (2004) concerning the biodegredation of acrylonitrile in industrial plants

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Acrylonitrile

EC Number:

203-466-5

EC Name:

Acrylonitrile

Cas Number:

107-13-1

Molecular formula:

C3H3N

IUPAC Name:

prop-2-enenitrile

Results and discussion

Any other information on results incl. tables

Acrylonitrile is rapidly biodegradable in situations where an adapted microbial population can be expected, such as in industrial biotreatment plants. Analytical determination of acrylonitrile in influent and effluent from a dedicated biotreatment plant principally handling effluent from an acrylonitrile production facility with a production capacity of approximately 100,000 tonnes per annum indicated a concentration of 0.82 mg/l in the influent to the biotreatment plant and a concentration of less than 0.05 mg/l in the effluent after treatment. The analytical method used was purge trap gas chromatography (EPA method SW-8260B) with a detection limit of 5 μg/l and a quantitation limit of 50 μg/l. On the basis of these results, the biotreatment plant removed greater than 93.9% of the acrylonitrile load. Information from another production facility indicated influent concentrations to the biotreatment plant of 300-500 mg/l and effluent concentrations of 0.5-1.3 mg/l, giving a removal of greater than 99%, while data from a fibre production facility could not detect acrylonitrile in the effluent from their biotreatment plant at a detection limit of 0.25 mg/l (influent level 35 mg/l), again a removal rate of greater than 99%. In general, all data for emissions to surface water provided for this report by companies with

biotreatment plants indicate similar removal rates.

Data were also provided for a US facility producing 172,000 tonnes/year acrylonitrile production with a biotreatment plant with mean flow of 5 million gallons (US)/day (18,900 m3/day). In 1996 aqueous emissions of acrylonitrile to the biotreatment plant were 28.5 tonnes (78.2 kg/day). The average influent concentration to the biotreatment plant was 0.44 mg/l and acrylonitrile was not detectable in the effluent from the biotreatment plant with an analytical limit of detection of 10 μg/l. On this basis biodegradation in the wastewater treatment plant was >97.7%. Higher acrylonitrile loadings to the biotreatment plant in 1993 of 39.7 tonnes (109 kg/day) still showed

no detectable acrylonitrile in the effluent.

One company reportedly has experience of intermittent operation of their biotreatment plant, and reported that after reconstituting the biomass with activated sludge from a municipal sewage plant, the industrial biotreatment plant operates at 99% removal rates within a few days of start-up.

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

Acrylonitrile is rapidly biodegradable in situations where an adapted microbial population can be expected, such as in industrial biotreatment plants.

Executive summary:

Acrylonitrile is rapidly biodegradable in situations where an adapted microbial population can be expected, such as in industrial biotreatment plants. Analytical determination of acrylonitrile in influent and effluent from a dedicated biotreatment plant principally handling effluent from an acrylonitrile production facility with a production capacity of approximately 100,000 tonnes per annum indicated a concentration of 0.82 mg/l in the influent to the biotreatment plant and a concentration of less than 0.05 mg/l in the effluent after treatment. The analytical method used was purge trap gas chromatography (EPA method SW-8260B) with a detection limit of 5 μg/l and a quantitation limit of 50 μg/l. On the basis of these results, the biotreatment plant removed greater than 93.9% of the acrylonitrile load. Information from another production facility indicated influent concentrations to the biotreatment plant of 300-500 mg/l and effluent concentrations of 0.5-1.3 mg/l, giving a removal of greater than 99%, while data from a fibre production facility could not detect acrylonitrile in the effluent from their biotreatment plant at a detection limit of 0.25 mg/l (influent level 35 mg/l), again a removal rate of greater than 99%. In general, all data for emissions to surface water provided for this report by companies with

biotreatment plants indicate similar removal rates.

Data were also provided for a US facility producing 172,000 tonnes/year acrylonitrile production with a biotreatment plant with mean flow of 5 million gallons (US)/day (18,900 m3/day). In 1996 aqueous emissions of acrylonitrile to the biotreatment plant were 28.5 tonnes (78.2 kg/day). The average influent concentration to the biotreatment plant was 0.44 mg/l and acrylonitrile was not detectable in the effluent from the biotreatment plant with an analytical limit of detection of 10 μg/l. On this basis biodegradation in the wastewater treatment plant was >97.7%. Higher acrylonitrile loadings to the biotreatment plant in 1993 of 39.7 tonnes (109 kg/day) still showed

no detectable acrylonitrile in the effluent.

One company reportedly has experience of intermittent operation of their biotreatment plant, and reported that after reconstituting the biomass with activated sludge from a municipal sewage plant, the industrial biotreatment plant operates at 99% removal rates within a few days of start-up.