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EC number: 233-038-3 | CAS number: 10025-73-7
- 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 oral toxicity to rats: LD50 1568 mg/kg bw
acute dermal toxicity to rats: LD50 >2000 mg/kg bw
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Acute toxicity: via oral route
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- adverse effect observed
- Dose descriptor:
- LD50
- Value:
- 1 568 mg/kg bw
Acute toxicity: via inhalation route
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- no study available
Acute toxicity: via dermal route
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- no adverse effect observed
Additional information
Acute oral toxicity
Four studies for chromium(III) compounds were identified addressing acute oral toxicity. Smyth et al. (1969) investigated chromium trinitrate nonahydrate upon acute exposure to rats and found a LD50 value of 3250 mg/kg bw (equivalent to 422 mg Cr/kg bw) but also chromium acetate monohydrate (LD50 value of 11620 mg/kg bw, equivalent to 2365 mg Cr/kg bw). Vernot et al. (1977) found in an equivalent experiment to Smyth et al. a LD50 value of 1465 mg/kg bw (equivalent to 190 mg Cr/kg bw) for chromium trinitrate nonahydrate. Shara et al. (2005) investigate chromium(III) nicotinate for acute toxicity to rats and found no oral toxicity at 5000 mg/kg bw (> 621.5 mg Cr/kg bw). Smyth et al. (1969) also tested the acute toxicity of chromous chloride (CrCl2), a chromium(II) compound which readily gets oxidized to chromium(III) in aqueous systems and reported a LD50 of 1870 mg/kg bw (equivalent to 791 mg Cr/kg bw).
It was reported by several authors that toxicity of chromium (III) compounds increases with water solubility and thus the results found with chromium trinitrate nonahydrate are more relevant for chromium trichloride as both substances are very well soluble in water. Thus, the acute oral LD50 of chromium trichloride may be based on the two findings on chromium trinitrate nonahydrate with an average LD50 of 306 mg Cr/kg bw which equates to 932 mg CrCl3/kg bw or more appropriately 1568 mg CrCl3.6H2O/kg bw.
This value is taken forward for hazard and risk assessment.
Acute inhalation toxicity
No acute inhalation studies with chromium(III) chloride are available. However, in a 90 day inhalation repeated dose study, reported by Derelanko et al. (1999) - see section on repeated dose toxicity - no systemic toxicity was noted upon exposure to chromium(III) hydroxysulfate, also a soluble chromium(III) compound, but local effects in the respiratory tract were observed. Similar effects can be expected for chromium trichloride hexahydrate upon inhalation exposure.
Acute dermal toxicity
No acute dermal study with chromium(III) chloride is available but a dermal study with chromium(III) nicotinate in which no mortality and no adverse symptoms were seen in rats at 2000 mg/kg bw. Considering, that no skin irritation effects were observed for chromium(III) chloride - see section on skin corrosion/irritation - in vitro and in vivo, one can assume that although chromium trichloride is acidic the skin barrier remains intact and no enhanced skin penetration is expected upon exposure to chromium trichloride. Thus, the acute dermal finding for chromium(III) nicotinate is considered representative for chromium trichloride too and acute dermal toxicity is not expected.
Acute toxicity by other routes
Bryson et al. (1983) had investigated toxicity to mice by intraperitoneal injection- the aqueous solution had a pH of approx. 2.5. The LD50 found was 42.2 and 49.2 mg/kg bw for female and male mice respectively. In comparison to the other acute study results by oral and dermal application this finding supports the result from toxicokinetic reviews indicating that chromium(III) absorption by oral, dermal and inhalation exposure is low and this is mainly responsible for the low toxicity of chromium(III) compounds.
Justification for classification or non-classification
No data is available for inhalation exposure to chromium trichloride. Results from dermal studies to chromium(III) indicate no significant toxicity. However, based on acute toxicity studies chromium trichloride shall be classified as harmful (Xn, R22) according to DSD (Directive 67/548/EEC) or Acute Toxic Category 4, H302 according to CLP (Regulation EC No 127272008).
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