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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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
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EC number: 231-106-7 | CAS number: 7439-97-6
- 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)
Description of key information
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
Inhalation is the primary route of entry into the body for elemental mercury (approx . 80%), while oral exposure is the primary route for inorganic mercury salts (in the range 10–30%). Dermal penetration is usually not a significant route of exposure to metallic or inorganic mercury.
Metallic mercury is distributed throughout the body following inhalation exposure. It can readily cross the blood-brain and placental barriers because of its high lipophilicity. After oxidation to mercuric mercury, it accumulates primarily in the kidneys. Inorganic divalent mercury compounds similarly reach all organs; however, the extent of accumulation in the brain and fetus is lower than for metallic mercury because of the lower lipophilicity.
Within the body, mercury is transformed/oxidised by first order kinetics to the mercuric ion in red blood cells, lungs and possibly also in the liver. This passes the blood-brain barrier, the placenta and lipid cell membranes only very slowly. Within the tissues, ionic mercury may become trapped thus increasing the half-life in different organs. The kidneys are the organs storing most of the body burden (around 50 - 90 days) with a half-life of approximately 60 days. Absorbed divalent cation from exposure to mercuric mercury compounds can, in turn, be reduced to the metallic or monovalent form and released as exhaled elemental mercury vapour. Elimination of metallic mercury occurs through urine, feces, and expired air, while inorganic mercury is excreted in urine and feces. Feces are a major elimination route for inorganic mercury compounds, but high acute doses increase the percentage of excretion via urine. Inorganic mercury compounds can be excreted in breast milk.
In consideration of this extensive database and knowledge about oral and inhalation absorption, it appears unlikely that any new experimental data related to toxicokinetics need to be generated.
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
Reproduction or further distribution of this information may be subject to copyright protection. Use of the information without obtaining the permission from the owner(s) of the respective information might violate the rights of the owner.