Trifluoroacetic acid

Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates

Description of key information

A key study performed under OECD guideline 202 with GLP shows no toxicity on Daphnia magna and gives an EC50 (48h) > 999 mg/L and a NOEC (48h) of 999 mg/L for Trifluoroacetic acid. Two supporting studies performed under standard guidelines gives a NOEC (48h) at 5600 mg/L and a EC50 (48h) at 9000 mg/L or greater than 111 mg/L of TFA on the same species.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water invertebrates

Fresh water invertebrates

Dose descriptor:

EC50

Effect concentration:

> 999 mg/L

Additional information

This endpoint is covered by four studies including one with no flag thus not further taken into consideration under REACH. A key study, performed according to standard guideline and GLP, which evaluated the acute toxicity of Sodium trifluoroacetate on the water fleas Daphnia magna and two supporting studies, performed according to standard guidelines (ISO and EU C.2) but without GLP statement, which evaluated the acute toxicity of Trifluoroacetic acid and Potassium trifluoroacetate on the same species.

The key study for short term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates was performed with Sodium trifluoroacetate on Daphnia magna under defined conditions for 48h according to OECD Guideline 202 and GLP (Groeneveld, 1992). All validity criteria were fulfilled, this study was reliable without restriction. The study is a limit test at 1200 mg/l of Trifluoroacetate sodium in triplicates (i.e. 999 mg/l of Trifluoroacetic acid, TFA) with control. The selection of the limit test was based on the results of a range finding test. No mortality was observed so the EC50 (48h) was determined as greater than 999 mg/l and the NOEC is equal to 999 mg/l of TFA.

Two other 48h-acute toxicity studies were performed. The first, according to ISO guideline without GLP statement was realized on the same species Daphnia magna (Barthel, 2008). A series of 8 concentrations up to 27 g TFA/l was tested with control. The EC50 (48h) was determined to be 9.0 g TFA/l and the NOEC (48h) was evaluated at 5.6 g TFA/l. However, the results can only be used as supportive information as no details on preliminary test and definitive test conditions are given, some critical information is missing in the report to consider this study as reliable without restrictyion. The second study was realized according to EU C.2 guideline without GLP statement, on the same species Daphnia magna (Cerbelaud, 2000). Seven concentrations were tested with a control but only the highest concentration: 100 mg Potassium trifluoroacetate/L (i.e. 111 mg/l of TFA) was performed in duplicate.

No mortality was observed after 48 hours, therefore a EC50 (48h) greater than 111 mg/l of TFA was derived. However, no information was provided on the test substance and some test conditions, this result is used as supportive information.

The key value used for chemical safety assessment is an EC50 greater than 999 mg/L of Trifluoroacetic acid for short term toxicity on aquatic invertebrates