# Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 on detergents (Text with EEA relevance), Division A: The reference method for laboratory testing of surfactant ultimate biodegradability in this Regulation is based on the EN ISO standard 14593: 1999 (CO 2 headspace test).

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

Surfactants in detergents shall be considered as biodegradable if the level of biodegradability (mineralisation) measured according to one of the following tests is at least 60 % within 28 days:
1..EN ISO Standard 14593: 1999 — Water quality — Evaluation of ultimate aerobic biodegradability of organic compounds in aqueous medium — Method by analysis of inorganic carbon in sealed vessels (CO 2 headspace test). Pre-adaptation is not to be used. The 10-day window principle is not applied (reference method).
2..Council Regulation (EC) No 440/2008 laying down test methods pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) (“EU Regulation 440/2008”), Annex, Part C: Methods for the determination of ecotoxicity, Part 4 (CO2 (carbon dioxide) evolution test (method C.4-C)).
3..EU Regulation 440/2008, Annex, Part C: Methods for the determination of ecotoxicity, Part 6 (closed bottle test (method C.4-E)).
4..EU Regulation 440/2008, Annex, Part C: Methods for the determination of ecotoxicity, Part 5 (manometric respirometry test (method C.4-D)).
5..EU Regulation 440/2008, Annex, Part C: Methods for the determination of ecotoxicity, Part 7 (M.I.T.I. test (method C.4-F)).
6..ISO 10708:1997 — Water quality — Evaluation in an aqueous medium of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of organic compounds — Determination of biochemical oxygen demand in a two-phase closed bottle test. Pre-adaptation is not to be used. The 10-day window principle is not applied.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/648/annex/III/division/A (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2004-648/annex-III/division-A
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.