Division 3 For the polymers referred to in point 1(a) and (b), neither the polymer, nor its degradation by-products, shall show any overall adverse effect on animal or plant health, or on the environment, under reasonably foreseeable conditions of use in the EU fertilising product. The polymer shall pass a plant growth acute toxicity test, an earthworm acute toxicity test and a nitrification inhibition test with soil micro-organisms as follows:

In the plant growth acute toxicity test, the germination rate and the plant biomass of the tested plant species grown on the soil exposed to the test material shall be more than 90 % of the germination rate and the plant biomass of the same plant species grown on corresponding blank soil not exposed to the test material.

The results shall be considered to be valid only if in the controls (i.e. blank soil):

• the seedling emergence is at least 70 %;

• the seedlings do not exhibit visible phytotoxic effects (e.g. chlorosis, necrosis, wilting, leaf and stem deformations) and the plants exhibit only normal variation in growth and morphology for that particular species;

• the mean survival of emerged control seedlings is at least 90 % for the duration of the study; and

• environmental conditions for a particular species are identical and growing media contain the same amount of soil matrix, support media, or substrate from the same source.

In the earthworm acute toxicity test, the observed mortality and the biomass of surviving earthworms in a soil exposed to the test material shall not differ by more than 10 % compared to those from the corresponding blank soil not exposed to the test material. The results shall be considered to be valid, if:

• the percent mortality observed in the control (i.e. blank soil) is less than 10 %, and

• the average loss of biomass (mean weight) of the worms in the blank soil does not exceed 20 %.

In the nitrification inhibition test with soil micro-organisms, the nitrite formation in soil exposed to the test material shall be more than 90 % of those from the corresponding blank soil not exposed to the test material. The results shall be considered to be valid, if the variation between replicate control samples (blank soil) and test samples is less than 20 %.