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EC number: 231-977-3 | CAS number: 7783-06-4
- 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
Ecotoxicological Summary
Administrative data
Hazard for aquatic organisms
Freshwater
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- PNEC aqua (freshwater)
- PNEC value:
- 0.03 µg/L
- Assessment factor:
- 50
- Extrapolation method:
- assessment factor
- PNEC freshwater (intermittent releases):
- 0.19 µg/L
Marine water
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- PNEC aqua (marine water)
- PNEC value:
- 0.003 µg/L
- Assessment factor:
- 500
- Extrapolation method:
- assessment factor
STP
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- PNEC STP
- PNEC value:
- 1.33 mg/L
- Assessment factor:
- 10
- Extrapolation method:
- assessment factor
Sediment (freshwater)
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no exposure of sediment expected
Sediment (marine water)
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no exposure of sediment expected
Hazard for air
Air
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- PNEC air
- PNEC value:
- 7 mg/m³
Hazard for terrestrial organisms
Soil
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no exposure of soil expected
Hazard for predators
Secondary poisoning
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no potential for bioaccumulation
Additional information
- No significant exposure of sediment to H2S is expected
- Testing toxicity to benthic organisms is technically not feasible
Sediment and soil toxicity
The PNEC sediment for hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is not calculated for two reasons, as mentioned in REACH Annex XI §2 and §3: 1) no significant exposure of sediment is expected from industrial uses under REACH, especially in light of other natural and anthropogenic source of sulphides, and therefore it is not deemed to be a compartment of concern for this risk assessment, 2) testing toxicity to benthic organisms is technically not feasible.
Migration of H2S from water column to sediments is unlikely, due to its high volatility (Henry constant > 17000 Pa.m3.mol-1) and very reactivity: H2S can be oxidized in less than an hour in seawater according to Treatise on Geochemistry 2003; and according to Hansen et al., 1978 and Jorgensen, 1982, 1984 “In sediments, about 90% of the sulfide generated from sulfate reduction is oxidized, mostly through microbial activity” cited from Bagarinao (1992).
Moreover, sulfides concentration of 300 to 1900 µg/L have been measured in freshwater sediment pore water, and 300 µg/L to 120 mg/L in marine sediment pore water (as reported in review from Bagarinao, 1992)
Assuming that this minimum concentration of 300 µg/L in sediment pore water corresponds to the background concentration of sulphides, it may be concluded that the unlikely contribution to sediment compartment from H2S uses under REACH (less than 100 tpa H2S used) will be negligible compared to these levels. Furthermore, one can reasonably assume that the benthic species are already adapted and resistant to H2S potential toxicity. Indeed several adaptation mechanisms of benthic species have been described by Bagarinao (1992).
It is technically not feasible to measure toxicity to benthic organisms using standard methods (like OECD guidelines), because of its high volatility (Henry constant > 17000 Pa.m3.mol-1) and because it is readily oxidized in water, as well as the lack of oxygen induced by the presence of sulfides, as explained by Wang and Chapman (1999). It is therefore not possible to maintain sulfide and/or dissolved oxygen concentrations during a test, even under flow-through conditions.
Soil toxicity
The PNEC soil for hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is not calculated, based on REACH Annex XI §2, because no significant exposure of soil is expected from industrial uses under REACH. Indeed, H2S is highly volatile (Henry constant > 17000 Pa.m3.mol-1) so it is expected to volatilize completely during WWTP aeration treatment. Even assuming unlikely presence of H2S in sludge residues, it can reasonably be assumed that it would volatilize before being spread on soil via sludge spreading. And in the unlikely eventuality that some H2S reach the terrestrial compartment, it can equally be assumed that it would volatilize rapidly before causing any toxicity.
References:
- Bagarinao, T. (1992). Sulfide as an environmental factor and toxicant: tolerance and adaptations in aquatic organisms. Aquatic Toxicology 24(1-2), 21-62.
- Hansen, M.H., K. lngvorsen and B.B. Jorgensen, 1978. Mechanisms of hydrogen sulfide release from coastal marine sediments to the atmosphere. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23.68-76.
- Jorgensen. B.B., 1982- Ecology of the bacteria of the sulphur cycle with special reference to anoxic/oxic interface environments. Phil. Trans. R. Sot. London B 298, 543-561.
- Jorgensen B.B., 1984. The microbial sulfur cycle. In: Microbial geochemistry, edited by W.E. Krumbein. Blackwell Science Publishers, Oxford. pp. 9 I-I 24.
- Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
- Treatise on Geochemistry, 2003, Pages 257–288, Volume 7: Sediments, Diagenesis, and Sedimentary Rocks, 7.10 – Sulfur-rich Sediments
- Treatise on Geochemistry, 2003, Pages 645–682, Volume 8: Biogeochemistry, 8.14 – The Global Sulfur Cycle
- Wang, F. and Chapman, P. M. (1999), Biological implications of sulfide in sediment—a review focusing on sediment toxicity. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 18: 2526–2532.
Conclusion on classification
Hydrogen sulphide is highly toxic to aquatic organisms with 96 hour - LC50 values <1 mg/L on fish. Hence, it should be classified as acute 1 according to CLP (M factor of 10, because LC50 (96 h, fish): 0.01 < LC50 <= 0.1 mg/L).
Concerning the chronic toxicity, hydrogen sulphide should not be classified according to CLP as it is neither bioaccumulable nor persistent.
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.
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