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EC number: 204-701-4 | CAS number: 124-43-6
- 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
Basic toxicokinetics
Administrative data
- Endpoint:
- basic toxicokinetics in vivo
- Type of information:
- experimental study
- Adequacy of study:
- weight of evidence
- Reliability:
- 2 (reliable with restrictions)
- Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
- data from handbook or collection of data
Data source
Reference
- Reference Type:
- review article or handbook
- Title:
- Unnamed
- Year:
- 2 003
- Report date:
- 2003
Materials and methods
- Objective of study:
- absorption
- distribution
- excretion
- metabolism
- toxicokinetics
Test guideline
- Qualifier:
- no guideline followed
- Principles of method if other than guideline:
- summary of available ADME studies on hydrogen peroxide
- GLP compliance:
- not specified
Test material
- Reference substance name:
- Hydrogen peroxide
- EC Number:
- 231-765-0
- EC Name:
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Cas Number:
- 7722-84-1
- Molecular formula:
- H2O2
- IUPAC Name:
- hydrogen peroxide
- Test material form:
- liquid
Constituent 1
Test animals
- Species:
- other: data from several specie have been summarised
- Strain:
- not specified
- Sex:
- not specified
Administration / exposure
- Route of administration:
- other: oral, dermal, inhalation
Results and discussion
Main ADME results
- Type:
- absorption
- Results:
- biological membranes are highly permeable to H2O2: 0.2 cm/min (peroxisomal mebranes) and 0.04 cm/min (erythrocyte plasma mebrane). Results in rapid absorption from mucuos membranes, skin, and lungs.
Toxicokinetic / pharmacokinetic studies
- Details on absorption:
- Toxicokinetic data are scarce, because it seems impossible to measure the fate of exogenous H2O2
as any measurement would interfere with the physiological equilibria. Available qualitative information: rapid absorption leads to increased levels of H2O2
and O2 in adjacent blood vessels, or even bubble formation.
Mucous membranes, small and large bowel, in vivo: bubble formation in draining vessels at concentrations > 1%
rat skin in vivo: elevated levels of H2O2
in excised epidermis within few minutes following application of 5-30% solutions of H2O2
Skin, mucous membranes: bubble formation in blood of patients undergoing irrigation of surgical wounds within minutes (solutions of 30% H2O2 , 5-20 ml). - Details on distribution in tissues:
- H2O2 is sufficiently stable to diffuse longer distances and distribute systemically as evidenced by cerebral oxygen embolism following accidental ingestion of 35% hydrogen peroxide. In another case, a child died after ingestion of 230 of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Gas emboli in the intestinal lymphatics and pulmonary vasculature, vacuoles inn spleen, kidney, and myocardium were found.
Transfer into organsopen allclose all
- Key result
- Test no.:
- #1
- Transfer type:
- blood/brain barrier
- Observation:
- slight transfer
- Remarks:
- in humans, accidental ingestion
- Key result
- Test no.:
- #2
- Transfer type:
- other: across blood vessels into organs
- Remarks:
- e.g. spleen, kidney, heart
- Observation:
- distinct transfer
- Remarks:
- case of fatal accidental ingestion
- Details on excretion:
- H2O2 is a normal metabolite in aerobic cells. In the rat, the total estimated production is 1.45 µmol/min per 100 rat, with approx. 75% produced in the liver. Most H2O2 is degraded by catalase or glutathione peroxidase, a minor fraction may undergo the Fenton reaction. Only small quantities were found in human exhaled air (0.5 E -08 to 0.5 E -06 M).
H2O2 is sufficiently stable to diffuse longer distances and distribute systemically as evidenced by cerebral oxygen embolism following accidental ingestion of 35% hydrogen peroxide. In another case, a child died after ingestion of 230 of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Gas emboli in the intestinal lymphatics and pulmonary vasculature, vacuoles inn spleen, kidney, and myocardium were found.
Metabolite characterisation studies
- Metabolites identified:
- yes
- Details on metabolites:
- H2O2 may be reduced to water by Glutathione peroxidase, or water and oxygen by catalase.
In the Fentron reaction, it may also react with free metal ions to give the hydroxyl radical and hydroxal anion.
Applicant's summary and conclusion
- Conclusions:
- H2O2 is readily absorbed via all routes of exposure and degraded to water and oxygen. It is sufficiently stable to be systemically distributed via draining blood vessels.
- Executive summary:
The EU Risk assessment for Hydrogen Peroxide summarises available ADME studies. H2O2 is a small, unloaded molecule that can easily cross biological membranes; the permeability of membranes for hydrogen peroxide is comparable to that for water. As a consequence, hydrogen peroxide is readily absorbed via all routes of exposure. As an oxidant. It may react with organic molecules, but is sufficiently stable to diffuse, enter adjacent blood vessels, and distribute throughout the body. Terminally, most of hydrogen peroxide is degraded at low levels by glutathione peroxidase [1] or by catalase [2].
H2O2+ 2 GSH > 2 H2O [1]
2 H2O2 > 2H2O + O2 [2]
Further, hydrogen peroxide may react with free metal ions like iron or copper in the Fenton reaction [3] to give the highly reactive hydroxyl radical that reacts with organic molecules in the nearest proximity.
H2O2+ Fe2+/ Cu+ > OH.+ OH-+ Fe3+/ Cu2+ [3]
As a consequence, only trace amounts are found in human exhaled air.
The toxicity of hydrogen peroxide is associated with the oxidation of organic molecules at the point of contact (e.g. skin corrosion) and, after absorption and distribution, at distant locations, the generation of the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, and embolism due to the formation of large amounts of oxygen. One mL of 30% H2O2 yield approximately 100 mL of oxygen, and oxygen bubbles in blood vessels and organs (brain, spleen, kidneys, hart muscle) were found in animals and humans after accidental ingestion.
Though absorption and degradation are known to occur within few minutes, no precise toxicokinetic data are known to exist, primarily due to analytical difficulties, e.g. to discriminate between endogenous and external hydrogen peroxide (ECB, 2003).
This information is considered to be suitable for assessment and can be used in a read across approach for hydrogen peroxide – urea (1:1) because the latter breaks down to the two components with water.
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