Ecotoxicity studies of glycerol ethers in Vibrio fischeri: checking the environmental impact of glycerol-derived solvents

The toxicities of a series of glycerol mono-, di-, and trialkyl ethers against Vibrio fischeri bacteria have been determined. A systematic study has been carried out and the possible structure-toxicity relationships have been discussed using different QSAR models. Inhibition of bioluminescence after 30 minutes of exposure shows relatively low toxicity of many of the glycerol derived chemicals studied. Results indicate that, as a general rule, the ecotoxicity increases with the length and number of substituents. However, if the size of the molecule increases, an extra substituent at position 2 makes the toxicity lower than that of the corresponding analogues.Financial support from the Spanish MINECO (project CTQ2011-28124-C02-01), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Gobierno de Aragón (Grupo Consolidado E11) is gratefully acknowledged. GreenLife acknowledges financial support from MINECO (CTQ2013-44867-P), FEDER and EEE53 SL. business groups: Pinares de Venecia División Energética and Brial (ENATICA) for support.Peer Reviewe