Registration Dossier

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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Administrative data

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Hazard for air

Air

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no potential for bioaccumulation

Additional information

As laid out in the endpoint summaries for the aquatic toxicity and the terrestrial toxicology, there is no evidence that iron sulfide might have a relevant adverse effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

 

Both OECD and US EPA came to the conclusion that iron salts in general are of low priority for further work (OECD 2007) and that no adverse effects can be expected from iron salts (US-EPA 1993). Information from other iron salts indicate that the toxicity of iron salts (OECD 2007 and US-EPA 1993) starts at concentration significantly higher than the water solubility of iron sulfide. This assessment is supported by the finding of Wallen et al 1957 (As cited in the ECOTOX database on Ferrous sulfide (1317-37 -9) Available from, as of September 21, 2004:http://cfpub.epa.gov/ecotox/quick_query.htm) who reported an LC50 of > 10000 mg iron sulfide/L for fish.

 

Based on the natural occurrence of iron sulfide in aquatic ecosystems, lack of toxic effects during sediment dredging and dumping (OSPAR 2009, a calculation on the translocated amounts of iron sulfide by sediment dumping is aquatic toxicity endpoint summary) and the (limited) experimental information confirming the non-toxic characteristics of iron sulfide on aquatic organisms it is concluded that the available data are sufficient to demonstrate that there is no risk associated with iron sulfide for the aquatic ecosystems.

 

Iron sulfide is a natural occurring mineral. When iron sulfide is added to the surface of the soil, e.g., as sludge from sewage treatment plants according to EEC directive 86/278/EEC it will be oxidized within short time. Depending on the buffering capacity of the soil, the sulfate will be neutralized in the soil pore water of the pH might decline. US EPA came to the conclusion that no adverse effects can be expected from iron salts (US-EPA 1993) and the OECD stated that iron salts are of low priority. Iron sulfide was not among the substances investigated in these assessments. But due to the oxidation of iron sulfide to iron sulfate, this is also true for iron sulfide. In terrestrial ecosystems, iron salts are used as fertilizers. For example iron sulfate is registered as fertilizer in Europe (Regulation 2003/2003/EEC) and the USA. Consequently, no terrestrial studies were needed and the studies were waived as scientifically unjustified.

 

Based on this assessment it is sufficiently unlikely that anthropogenic iron sulfide will have adverse effects on the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and hence classification is not needed.

Further information is provided in the read across justification (see chapter 13).

Conclusion on classification

Due to the low toxicity no classification is needed.