Potassium chloride

Endpoint summary

Description of key information

SKIN IRRITATION
Overall, based on the available data from an in-vitro experiment, limited animal data and limited data with volunteers, potassium chloride (KCl) is considered to be non-irritating to the skin  
EYE IRRITATION
Overall, based on an in-vitro experiment and limited animal data, potassium chloride (KCL) is considered to be non-irritating to the eye. 

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Skin irritation / corrosion

Endpoint conclusion

Endpoint conclusion:

no adverse effect observed (not irritating)

Eye irritation

Endpoint conclusion

Endpoint conclusion:

no adverse effect observed (not irritating)

Additional information

SKIN IRRITATION

There is an early publication available in which an experiment on rabbits is reported that examined the potential skin irritating property of potassium chloride.

Potassium chloride was applied to the skin of rabbit and was evaluated as practically not irritating to the skin ( grade 0/6, Marhold 1972). No further detail is availabel from that study. However, the skin irritation potential of KCL was also tested with volunteers using the Chamber-Scarification test for irritancy (Frosch 1976), which can be regarded as worst case scenario. A threshold concentration for irritancy of 60 % was seen when KCl in aqueous solution was in contact with normal skin of volunteers. The threshold concentration was 5 % when the same amount was applied on broken skin. No more relevant information was available in the study report. Further testing was not required by UNEP (2003)

In a recent in vitro test for skin irritation according to OECD TG 439 with reconstructed epidermis KCL is considered to have no skin irritation category.

Thus, overall, potassium chloride is considered as non-irritating to the skin.

Overall, based on the available data no classification is required

EYE IRRITATION

There is an early publication available in which an experiment on rabbits is reported that examined the potential eye irritating property of potassium chloride.

500 mg potassium chloride was instilled into the eye for 24 hours which caused irritating effects of grade 3 / 10. No further detail is available from that study. In a respective study on skin irritation published in parallel by the same research group the result was recorded to be "0", indicative of no relevant skin irritation potential. To evaluate the significance of the result of the eye irritation study and the relevance of the observation for classification a plausibility check was performed by collecting some examples with the same "Marhold evaluation: eye grade 3/10 and skin : 0". These substances are NaNO2, Cas-Nr 7632-00-0; NH4Cl CAS-Nr 12125-02-9: AlF3 CAS-Nr 7784-18-1; CCl4 CAS-Nr 56-23-5: Isophthalic acid CAS-Nr. 121-91-5; Maleic acid CAS-Nr 110-16-7 and CAS-Nr 67-68-5. Only two of them are classified and labelled according to the respective guideline but all of them were reported in reliable reviews to cause irritation effects in the eyes of rabbits of different magnitude

Overall, based on the available data there is some evidence of an eye irritation potential of potassium chloride, but it is unclear whether the classification criteria are fulfilled.. In a recent in vitro study for evaluation of ocular irritant properties by using an artificial human 3D-Cornea model it is shown that potassium chloride (KCL) can be predicted as non-irritant under the condition of this test method.

Thus, overall, potassium chloride is considered as non-irritating to the eye.

Justification for classification or non-classification

Based on the considerations above, no classification is proposed.