Turpentine, oil

Acute Toxicity: inhalation

Administrative data

Endpoint:

acute toxicity: inhalation

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

1967

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

guideline study with acceptable restrictions

Remarks:

No information on housing conditions of animals, body weight of animals not recorded during the study

Cross-reference

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to other study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

1967

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

equivalent or similar to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 403 (Acute Inhalation Toxicity)

Deviations:

yes

Remarks:

no information on housing conditions of animals, body weight of animals not recorded during the study

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Not applicable

GLP compliance:

no

Test type:

standard acute method

Limit test:

no

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Turpentine, oil

EC Number:

232-350-7

EC Name:

Turpentine, oil

Cas Number:

8006-64-2

Molecular formula:

UVCB substance molecular formula varied but mainly C10H16, C15H24, C2H6S1, C1H4S1 and C10H18O1

IUPAC Name:

Turpentine oil from pulping processes

Test animals

Species:

rat

Strain:

not specified

Sex:

male

Details on test animals or test system and environmental conditions:

TEST ANIMALS
- Weight at study initiation: 140-200 g

Administration / exposure

Route of administration:

inhalation: vapour

Type of inhalation exposure:

whole body

Vehicle:

air

Details on inhalation exposure:

GENERATION OF TEST ATMOSPHERE / CHAMBER DESCRIPTION
- Exposure apparatus: Glass cylinder
- Exposure chamber volume: 42 mm * 30 cm
- Pressure in air chamber: 3 mm of water

TEST ATMOSPHERE
- Brief description of analytical method used: 0.4-0.5 mL of sample were withdrawn with a gas-tight syringe and injected into a hydrogen-flame gas chromatograph.
- Samples taken from breathing zone: yes

Analytical verification of test atmosphere concentrations:

yes

Duration of exposure:

>= 1 - 6 h

Concentrations:

- 12.6-15.7; 15.8-19.8; 19.9-25.0 and 25.1-31.5 mg/L for 1 hour exposure
- 18-22 mg/L (2 hours exposure); 15-19 mg/L (4 hours exposure) and 7; 8-9; 10-11 and 13-17 mg/L (6 hours exposure)

No. of animals per sex per dose:

10-19 animals per concentration

Control animals:

yes

Details on study design:

- Duration of observation period following administration: 1 week
- Frequency of observations: Turpentine concentration in rat tissue was determined after 15, 30, 60 mins and 2 hours after exposure
- Necropsy of survivors performed: yes
- Other examinations performed: clinical signs, organ-body weight ratio, distribution and concentration of turpentine in tissues

Statistics:

All LC50 calculations were done by the Litchfield-Wilcoxon (1949) method.

Results and discussion

Preliminary study:

Not applicable

Effect levels

Sex:

male

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect level:

13.7 mg/L air (nominal)

Based on:

test mat.

95% CL:

>= 11.1 - <= 14.8

Exp. duration:

4 h

Mortality:

- 8.3% (at 12.6-15.7mg/L); 25.0% (at 15.8-19.8mg/L); 92.3% (at 19.9-25.0mg/L) and 90.0% (at 25.1-31.5 mg/L) at 1 hour exposure of turpentine concentration

Clinical signs:

other: Convulsions and apnea; increase in respiratory rate and decrease in tidal volume

Body weight:

No data

Gross pathology:

Organ body-weight and lesions noticed in lungs were similar in type and extent to those found among controls

Other findings:

- Lung concentrations were higher 30 minutes after 1 and 2 hours after exposure, than after 15 minutes. All tissues, except lung, followed a typical exponential decay curve
- Brain and spleen had the highest concentrations immediately and 60 minutes after exposure

Any other information on results incl. tables

Table 1: Results of a single 1-hour exposure of rats to different concentrations of turpentine vapor

Range of concentrations (mg/L)	Logarithm of difference within range	Mean of range	Logarithm of difference between means	mortality (%)
12.6-15.7	0.1	14.5		8.3
15.8-19.8	0.1	17.1	0.072	25
19.9-25.0	0.1	21.9	0.107	92.3
25.1-31.5	0.1	27.7	0.101	90

 Table 2: Summary of LC50s for rats for various periods of exposure to turpentine vapor

Duration of exposure (hours)	LC50 (mg/L)	Fiducial limits (mg/L)	Slope	Fiducial limits
1	16.9	17.5-22.7	1.24	1.12-1.36
2	16.6	15.9-17.9	1.19	1.12-1.26
4	13.7	11.1-14.8	1.23	1.12-1.35
6	11.7	10.6-12.7	1.21	1.11-1.32

 

Table 3: Concentration of turpentine in tissues of rats at various intervals after a 1-hour or a 2-hour exposure to vapor of turpentine

Tissue	Mean recovery (%)	Concentration after 1 hour exposure (µg/g)				Concentration after 2 hour exposure (µg/g)
		Zero time	15 min	30 min	60 min	Zero time	15 min	30 min	60 min
Brain	25	160	63	49	20	127	47	21	15
Spleen	50	214	127	39	19	94	32	15	17
Kidney	35	146	58	26	0	97	26	8	12
Liver	15	167	43	33	0	157	34	17	8
Lung	50	101	0	26	0	54	20	25	7
Blood	65	24	16	8	1	4	0.4	0.7	0.9

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Interpretation of results:

Category 4 based on GHS criteria

Conclusions:

Under the test conditions, the inhalation LC50 for turpentine was found to be 13.7 mg/L/4 hours in rats and therefore it is classified as “R20 Harmful by inhalation” according to the annex VI of the Directive 67/548/EEC and category 4 according to the CLP Regulation (EC) N° (1272-2008).

Executive summary:

In an inhalation acute toxicity study performed following a method similar to OECD guideline 403, groups of male rats (10-19/concentration) were exposed to turpentine vapors at concentrations of 12.6-15.7; 15.8-19.8; 19.9-25.0 and 25.1-31.5 mg/L for 1 hour, 18-22 mg/L for 2 hours, 15-19 mg/L for 4 hours and 7; 8-9; 10-11 and 13-17 mg/L for 6 hours. Surviving animals were then observed for mortality and clinical signs of toxicity for one week and were all macroscopically necropsied which included measurement of organ-bodyweight ratios and distribution and concentration of turpentine in tissues.

 

8.3, 25, 92.3 and 90% mortalities were observed when animals were exposed to turpentine vapors for 1 hour at various concentrations of 12.6-15.7, 15.8-19.8, 19.9-25.0 and 25.1-31.5 mg/L, respectively. Deaths were always preceded by convulsions and sudden apnea but these were not always followed by death. Increase in respiratory rate and decrease in tidal volume were noticed in exposed animals. Tissue distribution of turpentine in rats showed that brain and spleen had the highest concentrations immediately and 60 minutes after exposure. Organ body-weights and lesions noticed in lungs were similar in type and extent to those found among controls. The 4 hours LC50 for turpentine vapors was calculated to be 13.7 mg/L.

 

Under the test conditions, the inhalation LC50 for turpentine was found to be 13.7 mg/L/4 hours in rats and therefore it is classified as “R20 Harmful by inhalation” according to the annex VI of the Directive 67/548/EEC and category 4 according to the CLP Regulation (EC) N° (1272-2008).