Magnesium

Endpoint summary

Additional information

No data are available for the toxicity of Mg metal to aquatic organisms and read-across is made to soluble Mg salts (MgCl₂ and MgSO₄ + their hydrated forms). All data were reported based on added elemental Mg concentrations. The table below gives an overview of the reliable toxicity data selected for hazard assessment of magnesium.

Trophic level	Species	Parameter	Endpoint	Value (mg Mg/L)	Reference
Acute toxicity, freshwater
Fish	Pimephales promelas	mortality	96-h LC50	541	Mount et al., 1997
Invertebrates	Daphnia magna	mortality	48-h LC50	140	Biesinger and Christensen, 1972
Algae	Scenedesmus subspicatus	growth rate/biomass	72-h EC50	>12	Dengler, 2010a
Acute toxicity, marine water
Fish	Menidia beryllina	mortality	48-h LC50	2800	Pillard et al., 2000
Invertebrates	Americamysis bahia	mortality	48-h LC50	2650	Pillard et al., 2000
Chronic toxicity, freshwater
Invertebrates	Daphnia magna	reproduction	21 -d NOEC	41	Biesinger and Christensen, 1972
Algae	Scendesmus subspicatus	growth rate/biomass	72-h NOEC	≥12	Dengler, 2010a

Reliable short-term toxicity data for freshwater organisms are available for three trophic levels: aquatic invertebrates, fish and algae. The lowest acute effect value was a 48-h LC50 of 140 mg Mg/L observed for the effect of MgCl₂.6H₂O on mortality of Daphnia magna. Acute toxicity data are also available for marine fish and invertebrates, with 48-h LC50 values of 2800 and 2650 mg Mg/L, respectively. Reliable long-term toxicity data for freshwater organisms are only available for aquatic invertebrates (Klimisch 2 study by Biesinger and Christensen, 1972) and algae (Klimisch 1 study by Degler, 2010a). The unbounded NOEC value for algae was however not taken into account for the PNEC derivation due to its high degree of uncertainty. No reliable studies are available for chronic toxicity of Mg to freshwater fish or higher plants or to marine organisms.