Diarsenic triselenide

GHS

General Information

Not classified

Implementation:

EU

Remarks:

Human health and Environmental Hazard classification of diarsenic triselenide

 

Diarsenic triselenide is an amorphous glass.

 

According to the scientific literature and as recognised in the ECHA Guidance for Annex V (ECHA, 2012), glass is the state of a substance rather than a substance as such. The physico-chemical and hazard properties of the constituents in the glass are not the same anymore compared to the physico-chemical and hazard properties of the individual consituents separately: arsenic metal and selenium metal.

 

Despite diarsenic triselenide should not be seen as an alloy, metal alloys are another example of where a combination of metals (in an alloy or in a glass) has clearly distinctive properties compared to a classical mixture of its metal components. According to the ECHA Guidance on application of the CLP criteria (ECHA, 2015), metal alloys are defined by the CLP as ‘special preparations’ because their (eco)toxicity profile differs from that of their constituents.

 

For these reasons, the CLP harmonized classifications on “As compounds” and “Se compounds” are not applicable to GASIR 5. After all, the “As compounds” and “Se compounds” hazard classification is based on the hazard of the dissociated arsenic and selenium constituents and assume the properties of arsenic and selenium are the same in their respective compounds.

 

Consequently, the CLP harmonized classficiation should be based on available (eco-)toxicity data on Gasir 5. Aseries of toxicity tests (in accordance with REACH annex VII) have been conducted.In table 4, the EU classification based on the outcome of various toxicity tests (based on REACH annex VII requirements) is presented.

 

Table 1:EU Classification status of diarsenic triselenide based on the toxicity tests.

		Standard test	Outcome	Classification conclusion
HUMAN TOXICITY	Acute oral toxicity	OECD 420	LD50 > 2000 mg/kg	No Classification
	Skin irritation	OECD 439	Negative	No Classification
	Eye irritation – in vitro Eye irritation – in vivo	OECD 438 OECD 405	Negative Negative	Not a severe irritant No classification
	Skin sensitisation	OECD 429	Negative	No Classification
	Mutagenicity	OECD 471	Negative	No Classification
ECOTOXICITYY	Environmental toxicity – Transformation/dissolution test	OECD 29	Acute and chronic metal dissolution is lower than the respective environmental reference values^[i]	No Classification

 

 

In conclusion, the result of the toxicity tests illustrate the absence of hazards for the annex VII REACH endpoints, demonstrating strong distinctive differences in toxicity and classification from classical mixtures of crystalline selenium and arsenic compounds.

 

References

 

ECHA. 2012. Guidance for Annex V Exemptions from the obligation to register. ECHA-10-G-02-EN, European Chemicals Agency, Helsinki, Finland.

 

ECHA. 2015. Guidance on the application of the CLP criteria. ECHA-15-G-05-EN. ISBN: 978-92-9247-413-3. Version 4.1. June 2015. European Chemicals Agency, Helsinki, Finland.

[i]The Transformation dissolution (T/D) test (OECD 29) is a test that determines the rate and extent to which metals and sparingly-soluble metal compounds can produce soluble available metal ions in aqueous media (I.e. freely available metal ion = toxic entity).The measured dissolved concentration of the individual metal of the complex metal compound/mixtures are compared to their respective Environmental Reference Value (ERV); exceeding one of the individual acute/chronic ERVs, triggers a respective acute/chronic classification of the complex metal compound under consideration.

 

Related composition

Related composition:

diarsenic triselenide (generic)

Gasir5

Classification

Physical hazards

Explosives

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Flammable gases and chemically unstable gases

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Aerosols

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Reason for no classification:

hazard class not assessed

Oxidising gases

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Gases under pressure

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Flammable liquids

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Flammable solids

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Self-reactive substances and mixtures

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Pyrophoric liquids

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Pyrophoric solids

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Self-heating substances and mixtures

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Substances and mixtures which in contact with water emit flammable gases

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Oxidising liquids

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Oxidising solids

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Organic peroxides

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Corrosive to metals

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Desensitized explosives

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Health hazards

Acute toxicity - oral

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Acute toxicity - dermal

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Acute toxicity - inhalation

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Skin corrosion / irritation

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Serious eye damage / eye irritation

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Respiratory sensitisation

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Skin sensitisation

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Aspiration hazard

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Reproductive toxicity

Reason for no classification:

data lacking

Effects on or via lactation

Reason for no classification:

data lacking

Germ cell mutagenicity

Reason for no classification:

data lacking

Carcinogenicity

Reason for no classification:

data lacking

1. Specific target organ toxicity - single (STOT-SE)

Reason for no classification:

data lacking

1. Specific target organ toxicity - repeated (STOT-RE)

Reason for no classification:

data lacking

Environmental hazards

Hazardous to the aquatic environment (acute / short-term)

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Hazardous to the aquatic environment (long-term)

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Hazardous to the ozone layer

Reason for no classification:

data conclusive but not sufficient for classification

Labelling

Signal word:

No signal word