Potassium formate

Acute Toxicity: oral

Administrative data

Endpoint:

acute toxicity: oral

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

weight of evidence

Reliability:

4 (not assignable)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Refer to remarks.

Remarks:

Summary with tables and figures of a pre-guideline study. Meets generally accepted scientific standards, well documented and acceptable for assessment. This report was submitted to the MAK commission of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) assessing hazardous materials.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Die akute und chronische Toxizität der Ameisensäure und ihrer Formiate.

Author:

Malorny G

Year:

1969

Bibliographic source:

Zeitschrift Ernährungswissenschaft 9, 332-339.

Materials and methods

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Pre-guideline study. LD50 determination was presumably conducted similar to the method used in OECD guideline 401.

GLP compliance:

no

Test type:

standard acute method

Limit test:

no

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Potassium formate

EC Number:

209-677-9

EC Name:

Potassium formate

Cas Number:

590-29-4

Molecular formula:

CH2O2.K

IUPAC Name:

Alcohols, C16-18

Details on test material:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): Kaliumformiat, or K-Formiat

Specific details on test material used for the study:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): Kaliumformiat, or K-Formiat

Test animals

Species:

mouse

Strain:

not specified

Sex:

not specified

Details on test animals or test system and environmental conditions:

no data

Administration / exposure

Route of administration:

oral: gavage

Vehicle:

water

Details on oral exposure:

no data

Doses:

Applied doses not specified

No. of animals per sex per dose:

Total number of animals: 50

Control animals:

not specified

Results and discussion

Effect levels

Sex:

not specified

Dose descriptor:

LD50

Effect level:

5 500 mg/kg bw

95% CL:

5 000 - 6 000

Any other information on results incl. tables

Table: oral LD50 of formic acid and its salts in the mouse:

 

 

Substance	LD50 (mg/kg bw)	LD50range (mg/kg bw)	LD50,formate (mg/kg bw)#	No of animals
Formic acid	1100	1000-1200	1076	55
Na-formate	11200	9600-12800	7410	45
K-formate	5500	5000-6000	2950	50
NH4-formate	2250	2050-2460	1610	50
Ca-formate	1920	1280 -2560	1330	45

 

# = calculated proportion of formate anion of the LD₅₀dose.

Thus, the order of oral toxicity in mice was  formic acid  >  Ca, NH4, K salts  >  sodium formate.

 

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Interpretation of results:

GHS criteria not met

Conclusions:

The oral LD50 of potassium formate was 5500 mg/kg bw in mice. The oral toxicity of formic acid and its salts depended largely on the presence of H-ions, not on the presence of formate. Therefore formic acid was more toxic than the salts.

Executive summary:

The acute oral toxicity of formic acid and several of its salts was examined in male and female mice in a pre-guideline study. The aim was to establish LD₅₀ values and elucidate the mode of action. Potassium formate was tested in a total of 50 mice. The oral LD₅₀was 5500 (range 5000 to 6000) mg/kg bw in mice. The acute oral toxicity was therefore low (Malorny, 1969).

 

This pre-guideline publication reviews the results of a variety of studies including metabolism and excretion, acute and repeated toxicity, and toxicity to reproduction. These results were used in the course of an early MAK-assessment. Though formal requirements for modern studies are not met, the published results are valuable for the assessment of formic acid and its salts. The study is considered to be valid (low reliability of 4 is assigned for formal reasons) and is used in a Weight of Evidence approach.