{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-761/annex-V/division-2/division-2.2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-761/annex-V/division-2/division-2.2.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2009/761",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Regulation (EC) No 761/2009 of 23 July 2009 amending, for the purpose of its adaptation to technical progress, 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) (Text with EEA relevance)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-761",
  "path": "annex/V/division/2/division/2.2",
  "kind": "division",
  "number": "2.2",
  "heading": "INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS",
  "text": "If k is found to be independent of the added concentration (i.e. if the calculated k is approximately the same at the different concentrations of test substance), it can be assumed that the first order rate constant is representative of the testing conditions used, i.e. the test substance, the water sample and the test temperature. To what extent the results can be generalised or extrapolated to other systems must be evaluated by expert judgement. If a high concentration of test substance is used, and the degradation therefore does not follow first order kinetics, the data cannot be used for direct estimation of a first order rate constant or a corresponding half-life. However, data derived from a test using a high concentration of test substance may still be usable for estimating the degree of total mineralisation and/or detection and quantification of transformation products.\nIf the rates of other loss processes than biodegradation are known (e.g. hydrolysis or volatilisation), they may be subtracted from the net loss rate observed during the test to give an approximated estimate of the biodegradation rate. Data for hydrolysis may, e.g. be obtained from the sterile control or from parallel testing using a higher concentration of the test substance.\nThe indirect and direct determination of 14CO2 (section 1.8.9.4 and Appendix 3) can only be used to measure the extent of mineralisation of the test substance to CO2. Radiochromatography (RAD-TLC) or HPLC may be used to analyse the concentrations of 14C-labelled test substance and the formation of major transformation products (third paragraph in section 1.8.9.4). To enable a direct estimation of the half-life, it is necessary that no major transformation products (defined as ≥ 10 % of the applied amount of test substance) be present. If major transformation products as defined here are present, a detailed evaluation of the data is required. This may include repeated testing and/or identification of the transformation products (see first paragraph in section 1.8.9.5) unless the fate of the transformation products can be reasonably assessed by use of experience (e.g. information on degradation pathway). As the proportion of test substance carbon converted to CO2 varies (depending largely on the concentration of test substance and other substrates available, the test conditions and the microbial community), this test does not allow a straightforward estimation of ultimate biodegradation as in a DOC die-away test; but the result is similar to that obtained with a respirometric test. The degree of mineralisation will thus be less than or equal to the minimum level of ultimate biodegradation. To obtain a more complete picture of the ultimate biodegradation (mineralisation and incorporation into biomass), the analysis of the phase distribution of 14C should be performed at the end of the test (see Appendix 1). The 14C in the particulate pool will consist of 14C incorporated into bacterial biomass and 14C sorbed to organic particles.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2009/761/annex/V/division/2/division/2.2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:51:19.625001+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}