Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets
Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.
The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.
Diss Factsheets
Use of this information is subject to copyright laws and may require the permission of the owner of the information, as described in the ECHA Legal Notice.
EC number: 203-768-7 | CAS number: 110-44-1
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
Acute toxicity testing by any route (oral, inhalation, and dermal) demonstrate no evidence of toxicity.
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Acute toxicity: via oral route
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- no adverse effect observed
- Dose descriptor:
- LD50
- Value:
- 10 500 mg/kg bw
Acute toxicity: via dermal route
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- no adverse effect observed
- Dose descriptor:
- LD50
- Value:
- 2 000 mg/kg bw
Additional information
A series of acute toxicity studies with sorbic acid were conducted either according or similar to the OECD Guidelines.
Sorbic Acid shows a very low toxicity in rats and mice in acute oral toxicity studies. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the Sorbic Acid is 10.50±1.96 g/kg body weight in the rat, while the LD50 of the Potassium salt has been determined at 3.2-10.5 g/kg body weight in the rat.
In addition, the medical records maintained by the occupational medicine team at our manufacturing site in Frankfurt Main, Germany, show that based on the medical surveillance records for the last 20 years, no evidence of respiratory impact including cough, chocking and breathing difficulties has been registered among workers (see documentation in Section 13 Assessment reports).
Regarding acute dermal toxicity of sorbic acid, LD50 was determined greater than 2000 mg/kg. No animals died and no signs of toxicity were noted after 7 days.A not reliable acute inhalation (aerosol) study has also been performed in rabbits. Test animals were exposed for 2 hour (nose-only) and LD50 was determined at 7360 mg/kg (95% CI = 6690 - 8900 mg/kg bw).
Justification for classification or non-classification
According to criteria in Regulation (EC) No.1272/2008, sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are not classified for acute oral, inhalation or dermal toxicity, based on the observed LD50 values (acute oral toxicity: LD50 = 10500 mg/kg in rats and acute dermal toxicity: LD50 > 2000 mg/kg bw in rats). The acute inhalation study was poorly documented and unreliable.
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
Reproduction or further distribution of this information may be subject to copyright protection. Use of the information without obtaining the permission from the owner(s) of the respective information might violate the rights of the owner.