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EC number: 203-039-3 | CAS number: 102-54-5
- 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
Link to relevant study record(s)
- Endpoint:
- basic toxicokinetics in vivo
- Type of information:
- experimental study
- Adequacy of study:
- key study
- Reliability:
- 2 (reliable with restrictions)
- Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
- study well documented, meets generally accepted scientific principles, acceptable for assessment
- Objective of study:
- absorption
- distribution
- Principles of method if other than guideline:
- In a peer reviewed study groups of male and female Fischer 344 rats were exposed (nose-only) to ferrocene vapour labelled with 59Fe and tritium.
The exposure duration was 17 minutes and the average ferrocene concentration was 88 mg/m3 - GLP compliance:
- not specified
- Radiolabelling:
- yes
- Remarks:
- 59Fe and tritium
- Species:
- rat
- Strain:
- Fischer 344
- Sex:
- male/female
- Details on test animals or test system and environmental conditions:
- 23 male and 22 female rats
- Route of administration:
- inhalation: vapour
- Vehicle:
- unchanged (no vehicle)
- Duration and frequency of treatment / exposure:
- 17 minutes
- Dose / conc.:
- 88 mg/m³ air (nominal)
- Control animals:
- yes
- Details on absorption:
- Internal deposition was 61.4 ± 3.7 μg per rat, corresponding to 36.6 ± 2.2% of the total inhaled vapour. Estimated ingestion was 5-25 micrograms. The fate of ingested ferrocene is that it sequests in the liver after passage throught the mucosal barrier of the gastrointestinal tract
- Details on distribution in tissues:
- At the earliest sacrifice time (0hr), 55% of the internally deposited ferrocene was in the nasopharyngeal region, and 30% was in the bronchopulmonary region. The remaining 15% was associated with the gastrointestinal tract or other organs.
Over 75% of the tritium label was excreted within the first day but the 59Fe label largely remained in the bronchopulmonary and nasopharyngeal regions over the duration of the experiment. The remaining 10% of the iron was primarily associated with the liver.
There was a protracted clearance of ferrocene-introduced iron (FII) from the respiratory tract, particulary in the lungs. For the FII remaining after 14 days, half times for clearance of 200 and 70 days can be estimated for the bronohopulmonary and nasopharyngeal regions respectively.
8% of the initially deposited FII was swallowed during or quickly after exposure (fur licking may have contributed to the GI tract FII. Estimated ingestion was 5-25 micrograms. The fate of ingested ferrocene is that it sequests in the liver after passage throught the mucosal barrier of the gastrointestinal tract. - Details on excretion:
- Of the total initial tritium burden, 75% was excreted in the urine, about 9% was excreted in volatile components and 2% faeces all within 24 hours.
Only 7% of the Fe59 burden was excreted in the urine within the first 48hr. Overall only 15% of Fe59 was excreted by all routes in this period - Metabolites identified:
- not measured
- Details on metabolites:
- The chemical form of the retained iron was not determined. It was not Ferrocene however as 75% of the tritium label (and correspondingly Cyclopentadiene) was rapidly separated from the ferrocene (24hours)
- Conclusions:
- Interpretation of results (migrated information): no bioaccumulation potential based on study results For the FII remaining after 14days, half times for clearance of 200 and 70 days can be estimated for the bronohopulmonary and nasopharyngeal regions respectively.
Internal deposition was 61.4 ± 3.7 μg per rat, corresponding to 36.6 ± 2.2% of the total inhaled vapour. Estimated ingestion was 5-25micrograms. The fate of ingested ferrocene is that it sequests in the liver after passage throught the mucosal barrier of the gastrointestinal tract.
At the earliest sacrifice time (0hr), 55% of the internally deposited ferrocene was in the nasopharyngeal region, and 30% was in the bronchopulmonary region. The remaining 15% was associated with the gastrointestinal tract or other organs.
Over 75% of the tritium label was excreted within the first day but the 59Fe label largely remained in the bronchopulmonary and nasopharyngeal regions over the duration of the experiment. The remaining 10% of the iron was primarily associated with the liver.
There was a protracted clearance of ferrocene-introduced iron (FII) from the respiratory tract, particulary in the lungs. For the FII remaining after 14days, half times for clearance of 200 and 70 days can be estimated for the bronohopulmonary and nasopharyngeal regions respectively. - Endpoint:
- basic toxicokinetics in vivo
- Type of information:
- experimental study
- Adequacy of study:
- key study
- Study period:
- 1964
- Reliability:
- 2 (reliable with restrictions)
- Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
- study well documented, meets generally accepted scientific principles, acceptable for assessment
- Objective of study:
- absorption
- bioaccessibility (or bioavailability)
- distribution
- excretion
- toxicokinetics
- Principles of method if other than guideline:
- Report is a peer reviewed study performed on the absorption, distribution and utilization of iron, in fat-soluble form (ferrocene)
- GLP compliance:
- not specified
- Species:
- other: 3 species; mice, rats and guinea pigs
- Route of administration:
- oral: unspecified
- Vehicle:
- not specified
- Duration and frequency of treatment / exposure:
- single dose of 59Fe-ferrocene
- Details on absorption:
- After a single oral dose of 59Fe-ferrocene, the compound was well absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract by mice, rats, and guinea pigs
- Details on distribution in tissues:
- Six hours after the administration, 13% of the label was found in the liver and 6% in the large intestine of rats. Only 40% of the dose was accounted for.
One day after the administration, 21% of the label was found in the rat liver, 5 to 9% in the guinea pig liver, and 40% in the mouse liver
For stomach and intestines together, these numbers were 10% (rat), 1.6% (guinea pig), and 5.2% (mouse), respectively - Details on excretion:
- Faecal excretion amounted to 10% (rats), 2.0% (guinea pigs), and 7.7% (mice) after 3 days.
Urinary excretion amounted to 11% (rats), 36% (guinea pigs), 1.9% (mice) of the 59Fe-label in the first day.
The percentage label excreted after 3 days was 17% (rats), 38% (guinea pigs), 5.7% (mice). - Metabolites identified:
- no
- Bioaccessibility (or Bioavailability) testing results:
- When rats, guinea pigs and rabbits were given diets containing ferrocene for up to 24 weeks, the liver iron content rose progressively.
- Conclusions:
- Interpretation of results (migrated information): no bioaccumulation potential based on study results . The percentage label excreted after 3 days was 17% (rats), 38% (guinea pigs), 5.7% (mice).
After a single oral dose of 59Fe-ferrocene, the compound was well absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract by mice, rats, and guinea pigs. Six hours after the administration, 13% of the label was found in the liver and 6% in the large intestine of rats. 40% of the dose was accounted for. One day after the administration, 21% of the label was found in the rat liver, 5 to 9% in the guinea pig liver, and 40% in the mouse liver. For stomach and intestines together, these numbers were 10% (rat), 1.6% (guinea pig), and 5.2% (mouse), respectively. Faecal excretion amounted to 10% (rats), 2.0% (guinea pigs), and 7.7% (mice) after 3 days. Urinary excretion amounted to 11% (rats), 36% (guinea pigs), 1.9% (mice) of the 59Fe-label in the first day. The percentage label excreted after 3 days was 17% (rats), 38% (guinea pigs), 5.7% (mice). When rats, guinea pigs and rabbits were given diets containing ferrocene for up to 24 weeks, the liver iron content rose progressively - Executive summary:
After a single oral dose of 59Fe-ferrocene, the compound was well absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract by mice, rats, and guinea pigs. Six hours after the administration, 13% of the label was found in the liver and 6% in the large intestine of rats. 40% of the dose was accounted for. One day after the administration, 21% of the label was found in the rat liver, 5 to 9% in the guinea pig liver, and 40% in the mouse liver. For stomach and intestines together, these numbers were 10% (rat), 1.6% (guinea pig), and 5.2% (mouse), respectively. Faecal excretion amounted to 10% (rats), 2.0% (guinea pigs), and 7.7% (mice) after 3 days. Urinary excretion amounted to 11% (rats), 36% (guinea pigs), 1.9% (mice) of the 59Fe-label in the first day. The percentage label excreted after 3 days was 17% (rats), 38% (guinea pigs), 5.7% (mice). When rats, guinea pigs and rabbits were given diets containing ferrocene for up to 24 weeks, the liver iron content rose progressively
Referenceopen allclose all
Description of key information
In a peer reviewed study on oral absorption, distribution and utilisation, Ferrocene was absorbed at 40% (Golberg, Martin, 1964)
In a peer reviewed study on inhalation absorption and distribution, Ferrocene was absorbed at 37% (Dahl, Briner, 1980)
Key value for chemical safety assessment
- Bioaccumulation potential:
- no bioaccumulation potential
- Absorption rate - oral (%):
- 40
- Absorption rate - inhalation (%):
- 36.6
Additional information
2 peer reviewed studies and a supporting study provide information on the basic toxiokinetics, metabolism and adsorption of Ferrocene.
In a peer reviewed study on inhalation absorption and distribution (Dahl, Briner, 1980), internal deposition was 61.4 ± 3.7 μg per rat, corresponding to 36.6 ± 2.2% of the total inhaled vapour. The fate of ingested ferrocene is that it sequests in the liver after passage throught the mucosal barrier of the gastrointestinal tract. At the earliest sacrifice time (0hr), 55% of the internally deposited ferrocene was in the nasopharyngeal region, and 30% was in the bronchopulmonary region. The remaining 15% was associated with the gastrointestinal tract or other organs. Over 75% of the tritium label was excreted within the first day but the 59Fe label largely remained in the bronchopulmonary and nasopharyngeal regions over the duration of the experiment. The remaining 10% of the iron was primarily associated with the liver. There was a protracted clearance of ferrocene-introduced iron (FII) from the respiratory tract, particulary in the lungs. For the FII remaining after 14 days, half times for clearance of 200 and 70 days can be estimated for the bronohopulmonary and nasopharyngeal regions respectively. A human breathing ferrocene at the TLV concentration of 10 mg/m3 would acquire 1.7 g of ferrocene-derived iron in the pulmonary region at steady state.
In a peer reviewed study on oral absorption, distribution and utilisation (Golberg, Martin, 1964), after a single oral dose of 59Fe-ferrocene, the compound was well absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract by mice, rats, and guinea pigs. Absorption was ca. 40%.
Another supporting study shows that once Ferrocene is ingested orally it is metabolised into a bioavailable form of iron (Madinaveitia, 1964)
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