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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Toxicological information

Toxicological Summary

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Administrative data

Workers - Hazard via inhalation route

Systemic effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
DNEL related information

Local effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
DNEL related information

Workers - Hazard via dermal route

Systemic effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
DNEL related information

Local effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
DNEL (Derived No Effect Level)
Value:
0.172 mg/cm²
Most sensitive endpoint:
skin irritation/corrosion
DNEL related information
DNEL derivation method:
ECHA REACH Guidance
Overall assessment factor (AF):
5
Dose descriptor:
other: NOAEL
AF for intraspecies differences:
5
Justification:
Default worker AF
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Workers - Hazard for the eyes

Local effects

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Additional information - workers

The substances in the category are considered to be similar on the basis that they have common structures of a calcium ion varying only by the length of the fatty acid chain and the presence of unsaturated and/or hydroxyl functional groups. As a result it is expected that the substances will have similar, predictable properties. REACH Annex V, Entry 9, groups fatty acids and their potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium salts, including C6 to C24, predominantly even-numbered, unbranched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids. Provided that they are obtained from natural sources and are not chemically modified, the substances included in REACH Annex V, Entry 9 are exempt from registration, unless they are classified as dangerous (except for flammability, skin irritation or eye irritation) or they meet the criteria for PBT/vPvB substances. The metal fatty acid substances in the category are therefore not expected to be hazardous. Due to the close structural similarity and the narrow range of carbon chain numbers covered in this category, the toxicity properties are expected to be predictable across the category.

 

The category members are exclusively produced and used directly in grease form. They have vapour pressures of less than 10 E-10 Pa and melting points above 120°C, so the potential for the generation of inhalable forms is low, also the use of the grease forms will not result in aerosols, particles or droplets of an inhalable size, so exposure to humans via the inhalatory route will be unlikely to occur.

 

The fatty acid calcium salts would be expected to dissociate into fatty acid anions and calcium cations. Neither the fatty acid anions nor calcium cation are considered to be systemically hazardous as described above and in the category justification document. The key experimental studies on representative salts in the category, together with relevant read across studies, supporting studies and weight of evidence assessments, confirm this lack of hazard. On this basis there is no requirement to calculate systemic DNEL values from the hazard studies. The only exception is for long term local effects on the skin, where a NOAEL for skin irritation is defined by read across from the subacute dermal toxicity study on fatty acids C18 (unsaturated) lithium salts, and for which a DNEL can be derived.

General Population - Hazard via inhalation route

Systemic effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
DNEL related information

Local effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
DNEL related information

General Population - Hazard via dermal route

Systemic effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
DNEL related information

Local effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
DNEL (Derived No Effect Level)
Value:
0.086 mg/cm²
Most sensitive endpoint:
skin irritation/corrosion
DNEL related information
DNEL derivation method:
ECHA REACH Guidance
Overall assessment factor (AF):
10
Dose descriptor:
other: NOAEL
AF for intraspecies differences:
10
Justification:
Default AF for general population
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

General Population - Hazard via oral route

Systemic effects

Long term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
Acute/short term exposure
Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified
DNEL related information

General Population - Hazard for the eyes

Local effects

Hazard assessment conclusion:
no hazard identified

Additional information - General Population

The substances in the category are considered to be similar on the basis that they have common structures of a calcium ion varying only by the length of the fatty acid chain and the presence of unsaturated and/or hydroxyl functional groups. As a result it is expected that the substances will have similar, predictable properties. REACH Annex V, Entry 9, groups fatty acids and their potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium salts, including C6 to C24, predominantly even-numbered, unbranched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids. Provided that they are obtained from natural sources and are not chemically modified, the substances included in REACH Annex V, Entry 9 are exempt from registration, unless they are classified as dangerous (except for flammability, skin irritation or eye irritation) or they meet the criteria for PBT/vPvB substances. The metal fatty acid substances in the category are therefore not expected to be hazardous. Due to the close structural similarity and the narrow range of carbon chain numbers covered in this category, the toxicity properties are expected to be predictable across the category.

 

The category members are exclusively produced and used directly in grease form. They have vapour pressures of less than 10 E-10 Pa and melting points above 120°C, so the potential for the generation of inhalable forms is low, also the use of the grease forms will not result in aerosols, particles or droplets of an inhalable size, so exposure to humans via the inhalatory route will be unlikely to occur.

 

The fatty acid calcium salts would be expected to dissociate into fatty acid anions and calcium cations. Neither the fatty acid anions nor calcium cation are considered to be systemically hazardous as described above and in the category justification document. The key experimental studies on representative salts in the category, together with relevant read across studies, supporting studies and weight of evidence assessments, confirm this lack of hazard. On this basis there is no requirement to calculate systemic DNEL values from the hazard studies. The only exception is for long term local effects on the skin, where a NOAEL for skin irritation is defined by read across from the subacute dermal toxicity study on fatty acids C18 (unsaturated) lithium salts, and for which a DNEL can be derived