Initial Risk-based Prioritization of High Production Volume Chemicals Chemical/category Alkyl Acetates C6 – C13 Category1 Cas No. 88230-35-7 Hexanol Acetate Branched and Linear Cas No. 90438-79-2 Acetic Acid C6-8 Branched Alkyl Esters Cas No. L08419-32-5* Acetic Acid C7-9 Branched Alkyl Esters Cas No. L08419-33-6* Acetic Acid C8-l0 Branched Alkyl Esters Cas No. L08419-34-7* Acetic Acid C9-11 Branched Alkyl Esters Cas No. L08419-35-8 Acetic Acid C11-l4 Branched Alkyl Esters (*chemicals That Were Not Hpv Chemicals in 1990/1994

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 3/18/2008
Risk-Based Prioritization Document
Initial Risk-Based Prioritization of High Production Volume Chemicals
Chemical/Category: Alkyl Acetates C6 - C13 Category1
CAS No. 88230-35-7 Hexanol, acetate, branched and linear
CAS No. 90438-79-2 Acetic acid, C6-8 branched alkyl esters
CAS No. 108419-32-5* Acetic acid, C7-9 branched alkyl esters
CAS No. 108419-33-6* Acetic acid, C8-10 branched alkyl esters
CAS No. 108419-34-7* Acetic acid, C9-11 branched alkyl esters
CAS No. 108419-35-8 Acetic acid, CI 1-14 branched alkyl esters
(*Chemicals that were not HPV chemicals in 1990/1994)
This document is based on screening-level characterizations done by EPA on the environmental
fate, hazard, and exposure of the listed chemicals. The information used by EPA includes data
submitted under the HPV Challenge Program2 and the 2006 Inventory Update Reporting (IUR)3,
and data publicly available through other selected sources4. This screening-level prioritization
presents EPA's initial thinking regarding the potential risks presented by these chemicals and
future possible actions that may be needed. These initial characterization and prioritization
documents do not constitute a final Agency determination as to risk, nor do they determine
whether sufficient data are available to characterize risk. Rather, they are interim evaluations.
Recommended actions may be considered by EPA in the future based on a relative judgment
regarding this chemical in comparison with others evaluated under this program, and in light of
the uncertainties presented by gaps in the available data that may be determined to exist. These
evaluations contribute to meeting U.S. commitments under the chemicals cooperation work
being done in North America5.
Human Health and Environmental Hazard Summary:
• Available health effects studies indicate generally low toxicity for all category members.
• Available environmental effects studies indicate that the potential acute aquatic hazard of
the CI 1-14 member is moderate, while all the other category members are low.
Persistence and Bioaccumulation Summary:
• The persistence and bioaccumulative ranking potential for this category is low for five of
the category members (C6 to the C9-11).
• Available data indicate that the potential for the highest alkyl member (acetic acid, CI 1 -
C14 branched alkyl esters) is ranked low for persistence and high for bioaccumulation
and that it may biodegrade to moderately persistent and moderately bioaccumulative
branched alcohols.
1 Some of the chemicals in this category were not HPV chemicals in 1990/1994 - the reporting years used to
establish the HPV Challenge Program - and not all of the chemicals in this category were HPV chemicals in the
2006 IUR reporting cycle. See the production volume section in the exposure summary for additional details.
2 US EPA, HPV Challenge Program information: http://www.epa. gov/hpv/.
3 US EPA, IUR Reporting information: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/iur/index.htm.
4 US EPA, Information on additional public databases used: http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/pubdtsum.htm.
5 US EPA, U.S. Commitments to North American Chemicals Cooperation:
http://www.epa.gov/hpv/pubs/general/sppframework.htm.
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Risk-Based Prioritization Document
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Exposure Summary:
• Both IUR Confidential Business Information (CBI) and non-CBI information from IUR
and other sources were used in developing this overall ranking. IUR information for
2005 was submitted for five of the six category members; the exception being acetic acid,
C8 - CIO branched alkyl esters. The available IUR submissions for one of the five
members (hexanol, acetate, branched and linear) reported a volume of less than 500,000
pounds with no industrial, commercial, or consumer use information. Therefore,
Exposure Characterizations are available for only four category members.
• Production volume: Only the C6-C8 category member is currently considered an HPV
chemical (manufactured or imported in excess of 1 million pounds per year). The C7-C9
and C9-C11 category members are produced and/or imported in the range of 500,000 to
1,000,000 pounds per year for each of the category members, and the CI 1-C14 chemicals
are produced and/or imported in the range of 10,000 to 500,000 pounds. The C6
(hexanol, acetate, branched and linear) reported a volume of less than 500,000 pounds
• Uses: Alkyl acetates are mainly used as solvents in lacquers, janitorial cleaning products,
and agricultural products.
• General Population and Environment: None of the members are listed on the Toxics
Release Inventory. Based on use information, EPA assumes for the purpose of this risk
prioritization that there is potential for exposures to the general population and the
environment.
• Workers: Based on the vapor pressure of all category members, there could be
significant exposures to vapors if workers are near the liquid. Known uses of these
chemicals indicate a potential for worker inhalation. For the C7-C9, the C9-C11, and the
CI 1-C14 category members, the IUR-based ranking for worker exposure is high, based
on uncertainty associated with the data. For the C6-C8 category member, the IUR-based
ranking for worker exposure is low. None of the category members have an OSHA
Permissible Exposure Limit. Based on IUR reporting, the maximum total number of
workers likely to be exposed to this chemical during manufacturing and industrial
processing and use is less than 100.
• Commercial Workers and Consumers: Based on the vapor pressure of all category
members, there could be significant exposures to vapors if commercial
workers/consumers are near products containing the chemical. Based on IUR data, the
C6-C8 and C7-C9 category members do not appear to be used in commercial/consumer
products. The C9-C11 and CI 1-C14 category members appear to be used in
commercial/consumer products.
• Children: No information was provided on the IUR for exposure to children through
using products that contain these chemicals. EPA assumes that all members of this
category are used in products to which children may be exposed.
Assumptions and Uncertainties:
• Minor uses are not reported under the IUR, and are thus unknown.
• There is uncertainty as to the extent of possible exposure to the environment and the
general population from environmental releases
• Little data was provided regarding the specific composition of the category members
other than the carbon number range and the descriptor "branched".
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Risk Characterization Summary:
•	Potential Risk to Aquatic Organisms from Environmental Releases
o MEDIUM CONCERN for acetic acid, CI 1-14 branched alkyl esters: EPA
assumes there is potential for exposure to aquatic organisms from environmental
releases. This category member, which was an HPV in the 1990's but was
reported at less than a million pounds in the 2006 IUR, has the potential to be
both persistent in the environment and bioaccumulative in aquatic organisms.
There is a data gap for potential chronic hazard to those organisms, leading to a
concern for potential risk to aquatic organisms from environmental releases,
o LOW CONCERN for the remaining category members: EPA assumes there is
potential for exposure to aquatic organisms from environmental releases. The low
acute aquatic hazard and the overall fate characteristics (not persistent or
bioaccumulative) of these category members suggest a low concern for potential
risk to aquatic organisms from environmental releases.
•	Potential Risk to General Population from Environmental Releases (LOW CONCERN -
all category members): EPA assumes there is potential for exposure to the general
population from environmental releases. The potential human health hazard is expected
to be low due to minimal toxicity observed only at high doses in animal studies. Thus,
although one category member (acetic acid, CI 1-14 branched alkyl esters) may be
persistent/bioaccumulative in the environment, the low human health hazard suggests a
low concern for potential risk to the general population from environmental releases for
all the category members.
•	Potential Risk to Workers (LOW CONCERN - all category members): There is a
potential for exposure in the workplace for most of the category members; however, the
low hazard profile for all six category members suggests a low concern for potential risk
to workers
•	Potential Risk to Commercial Workers and Consumers from Known Uses (LOW
CONCERN - all category members): There is potential for commercial
workers/consumer exposures resulting from the stated uses of the category members;
however, the low hazard profile for all six category members suggests a low concern for
potential risk to both groups.
•	Potential Risk to Children (LOW CONCERN - all category members): The available
exposure/use information suggests there is a potential for exposure to children. There is
uncertainty regarding the identity of the category members in products available to
children; however, the low hazard profile for all six category members suggests a low
concern for the potential risk to children.
Rationale Leading To Prioritization Decision:
•	Available data suggest a concern for potential risk to aquatic organisms from only one of
the six category members (acetic acid, CI 1-14 branched alkyl esters) because of the
persistent and bioaccumulative properties of these chemicals, the potential for
environmental releases from known uses, and the lack of data for potential hazard to
aquatic organisms under chronic exposure scenarios.
•	The human health hazard profile is low for all six members of the category.
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Prioritization Decision:
•	MEDIUM PRIORITY, POTENTIAL CONCERN: In order to further evaluate the
medium concern for potential risk to aquatic organisms from only the acetic acid, CI 1-14
branched alkyl esters, a non-HPV member of this category, companies are encouraged to
provide available information on a voluntary and non-confidential basis. Examples of
information that would assist EPA in its analysis include, but are not limited to:
o Available information on environmental releases of this chemical; and
o Other information pertinent to environmental exposures to this chemical.
•	LOW PRIORITY: Follow-up action not suggested at this time on the remaining
members of the category.
Supporting Documentation:
Screening-Level Risk Characterization: 3/14/2008
Screening-Level Hazard Characterization: 2/21/2008
Screening-Level Exposure Characterization: 3/14/2008
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