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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
Short-term toxicity to fish
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
The acute LD50 towards freshwater fish (96h, rainbow trouts) was found being 57.4 mg/L whereas the acute toxicity to saltwater fish appears to be lower (LD50 (96h, mummichog) of 161 mg/L as chromium trichloride hexahydrate).
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Fresh water fish
Fresh water fish
- Effect concentration:
- 57.4 mg/L
Marine water fish
Marine water fish
- Effect concentration:
- 161 mg/L
Additional information
Freshwater
In the key study Bills et al. (1977) found the LC50 (96h, rainbow trout) being 11.2 mg Cr/L or 57.4 mg/L as chromium trichloride hexahydrate. In this study the effects of pre-treatment of rainbow trouts by different concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls on the acute toxicity to six different contaminants (mercury(II), chromium(III), cyanides, nitrates, nitrites, and chlorides) was investigated. Acute toxicity to these contaminants was tested using a control group of rainbow trouts (no pre-treatment towards PCBs) a low level group (PCB concentration of 0.46 µg/g tissue) and a high level group (PCB concentration of 3.40 µg/g tissue). The results found for the control groups exposed to chromium(III) was a LC50 (96h) of 11.2 mg Cr/L. Results with animals from the low level and high level group were 9.0 and 7.05 mg Cr/L respectively. The result for the control group is considered representative for acute toxicity towards chromium trichloride and can be converted to LC50 (96h) of 57.4 mg/L as chromium trichloride hexahydrate.
Tis finding is supported by a publication of Stevens et al. (1984), using chromium trinitrate nonahydrate as chromium(III) source, which is also very well water soluble. A 96-h LC50 of 4400 µg/L chromium (equimolar to 22.6 mg/L as chromium trichloride hexahydrate) was obtained with two-month-old juvenile fish. This study was conducted to determine the acute effects of the test substance on the early life stages of steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri). Eight concentrations of 1100, 1933, 1966, 2900, 3100, 3966, 5650, 5825 µg Cr/L and a control were administrated to the test fish. After 96 hours exposure, the 96-h LC50 of 4400 µg/L as chromium was obtained with two-month-old juvenile fish.
Another supporting study using chromium trinitrate nonahydrate was published by Hale et al. (1977). The 96-h LC50 of the test substance to (2-month-old) rainbow trout was 24.09 mg Cr/L (equivalent to 123.5 mg/L as chromium trichloride hexahydrate). The 96-hour toxicity bioassays was conducted in a mobile bioassay laboratory and conducted according to standard method using a continuous flow proportional diluter to evaluate the short-term toxicity of the test substance to 2-month-old rainbow trout. 4.02 - 64.25 mg Cr/L were applied to the test fish. After 96 hours exposure, the 96-h LC50 of the test substance to (2-month-old) rainbow trout was 24.09 mg Cr/L.
In conclusion, the LC50 to fish of 57.4 mg/L as chromium trichloride hexahydrate, reported by Bills et al. is used for hazard and risk assessment, supported by data on acute fish toxicity determined using chromium trinitrate as chromium(III) source.
Saltwater
In the key-study Dorfman et al. (1977) assessed 20 metals in 30 compounds for toxicity towards mummichog fish. For chromium(III) chloride he showed in this assay a LD50 (96h, mummichog) of 31.5 mg Cr/L (equivalent to 96 mg CrCl3/L or 161 mg CrCl3.6H2O/L). The TL50 values found in this assay varied from greater than 1000 mg/L to 0.2 mg/L. Metals with the greatest toxicity were mercury and copper.
In some tests the reduced pH was probably the immediate cause of death. For example, aluminum ammonium sulfate, aluminum chloride, beryllium sulfate, chromium chloride, ferric ammonium sulfate, ferric chloride, molybdenum oxide and zirconyl chloride in higher concentrations (1000, 100 and 10 mg/L, and occasionally 1 mg/L of the metal ion) resulted in pH readings of 4 or less.
In conclusion, chromium chloride was of low toxicity in this assay to saltwater fish (mummichog - Fundulus heteroclitus) and the LC50 found was 31.5 mg Cr/L (equivalent to 96 mg CrCl3/L or 161 mg CrCl3.6H2O/L). The toxicity was apparently due to the reduction of pH in the test system caused by chromium trichloride addition as equivalent values were found following 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours of exposure.
In a supporting study Negilski et al. (1976) investigated the toxicity of chromium(III) towards juvenile mullet in a static test design using chromium trinitrate as chromium(III) source. The 96-h LC50 value for chromium(III) was 53 mg Cr/L (equimolar to 272 mg/L as chromium trichloride hexahydrate). This finding does support the lower toxicity to saltwater fish compared to freshwater species.
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