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EC number: 219-854-2 | CAS number: 2551-62-4
- 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
Specific investigations: other studies
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
The assessment of cardiac sensitisation potential of sulphur hexafluoride in dogs revealed no sign of cardiac sensitisation at concentrations up to 20%. Ophthalmologic examination in rabbits exposed to SF6 revealed endothelial lesions in the corneal tissue which is attributed to contamination with S2F10 / fluorinated degradation products of SF6 formed by LASER irradiation. SF6 as such does not cause endothelial lesions.
Additional information
Cardiac sensitisation
Cardiac sensitisation potential of SF6was studied by Mullin and Trochimowicz (1972). 12 dogs were exposed via face mask to 20% SF6. Animals were injected with 0.0008 mg/kg bw adrenaline before the exposure and 5 minutes after the beginning of the exposure. Electro-cardiogram recording was performed during the experiments. No sign of cardiac sensitisation was observed in exposed dogs.
Anaesthetic potential
Anaesthetic potential of SF6was assessed in five dogs by Eger et al. (1969). The minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) necessary to eliminate movements in response to a painful stimulus was 4.9 ± 0.4 atm.
Ophthalmological application
The toxic potential of SF6 used as a tamponade gas in ophthalmology was assessed in rabbits by Schulze and Schmidtdorf (1989). Formation of SF6 bubbles was observed in the eyes of exposed animals. Microscopic examinations revealed the occurrence of clouding areas in the cornea of the eyes insufflated with SF6, in correspondence with the formation of the bubbles. In vitro post mortem examination revealed endothelial lesions in all corneal tissue of eye treated with SF6 in comparison to control samples. Endothelial cell areas with damage or regeneration changes were recorded in SF6 treated eye. The authors indicated the contamination of SF6 with S2F10 as a possible explanation for the toxic effects. SF6 as such does not cause endothelial lesions.
The possible cytotoxic effect of ophthalmological use of SF6 in LASER surgery was assessed in vitro by Gripphits et al. (1987). Human retinal pigment epithelial (REP) cells were cultured in a flask and exposed to an atmosphere containing SF6 or air. Nd:YAG-LASER radiation was used to form 100 plasmas in the gas at a site distant from the cell layer. An almost complete cellular death was observed in samples containing SF6and irradiated with LASER, whereas no adverse effects were observed by directly exposing cells to air or to the gas alone. The effect was attributed by the authors to the formation of fluorinated degradation products with cytotoxic potentials; breakdown of sulphur hexafluoride is known to occur under the conditions of electric arcing. Such conditions are not relevant for the risk characterisation of SF6 under REACH. SF6 as such does not cause endothelial lesions.
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