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EC number: 231-768-7 | CAS number: 7723-14-0
- 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
Description of key information
The substance (white phosphorus) is highly toxic to fish in laboratory studies, however in the environment it is likely that dissolved elemental phosphorus will be rapidly oxidised to phosphates and phosphorus oxides which will be of much lower toxicity.
Short-term toxicity to fish
The acute toxicity of dissolved elemental phosphorus to cod (Gadus morhua) was investigated in the absence of colloidal phosphorus. The 48 h LC50 for dissolved elemental phosphorus is 14·4 μg/L, and evidence is presented that the incipient lethal level is ca. 1–2 μg/L. Elemental phosphorus was rapidly assimilated into the body tissues of the test animals. The distribution of phosphorus was homogeneous in the muscle tissue with levels ca. 10–30 times the exposure level, highest concentrations were measured in the liver (Maddock & Taylor, 1976).
In a literature review, Burrowset al(1973) conclude that white phosphorus is highly toxic to fish. The 96 hour LC50 values are less than 50 ppb for all fish species studied, and it is noted that the incipient lethal level is 'probably less than 1 ppb' for most fish. Phosphorus poisoning appears to be cumulative and irreversible, though the cause of mortality has not been determined. While phosphorus is readily taken up by fish and other aquatic organisms directly from the water, fish may also acquire lethal quantities of elemental phosphorus through the food chain, since the few macroinvertebrates studied have a much higher tolerance for white phosphorus than fish. The symptoms of phosphorus intoxication are passed onto brook trout when they are fed muscle tissue from phosphorus-poisoned cod. The authors postulate that that the minimum 'incipient lethal level' is 0.1 ug/l, comparable to the NOEC, (1/5 the lowest measured).
In a study of dietary toxicity (Fletcher, 1973), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were exposed to P4 in the diet (cod muscle, cod liver). The approximate toxic dose of P4 ranged from 1.23- 2.73 mg.
Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
No data are available: a waiver is proposed for this endpoint. White phosphorus is of limited water solubility (3 mg/L) and the solubilised substance is rapidly oxidised to phosphate. It is well documented that phosphates are critical nutrients required for the growth of algae, a food source for aquatic invertebrates such as Daphnia. Low aquatic concentrations of phosphate resulting from white phosphorus will stimulate the growth and reproduction of aquatic invertebrates as a consequence of the effects on their food source. Higher concentrations of phosphate are unlikely to be achieved due to the low water solubility of white phosphorus, but have the potential to cause adverse effects as a consequence of teh stimulation of excessive algal growth and subsequent eutrophication.
Short-term toxicity to algae
No data are available: a waiver is proposed for this endpoint. White phosphorus is of limited water solubility (3 mg/L) and the solubilised substance is rapidly oxidised to phosphate. It is well documented that phosphates are critical nutrients required for the growth of algae and other aquatic plants. Low aquatic concentrations of phosphate resulting from white phosphorus will stimulate the growth of algae. Higher concentrations of phosphate are unlikely to be achieved due to the low water solubility of white phosphorus, but have the potential to cause adverse effects as a consequence of the stimulation of excessive algal growth and subsequent eutrophication.
Additional information
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