Registration Dossier

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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.

The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.

Diss Factsheets

Administrative data

Hazard for aquatic organisms

Freshwater

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC aqua (freshwater)
PNEC value:
0.057 µg/L
Assessment factor:
5
Extrapolation method:
sensitivity distribution

Marine water

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC aqua (marine water)
PNEC value:
0.067 µg/L
Assessment factor:
5
Extrapolation method:
sensitivity distribution

STP

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC STP
PNEC value:
2.25 µg/L
Assessment factor:
1
Extrapolation method:
assessment factor

Sediment (freshwater)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC sediment (freshwater)
PNEC value:
9.3 mg/kg sediment dw
Assessment factor:
100
Extrapolation method:
assessment factor

Sediment (marine water)

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC sediment (marine water)
PNEC value:
9.3 mg/kg sediment dw
Assessment factor:
100
Extrapolation method:
assessment factor

Hazard for air

Hazard for terrestrial organisms

Soil

Hazard assessment conclusion:
PNEC soil
PNEC value:
22 µg/kg soil dw
Assessment factor:
50
Extrapolation method:
assessment factor

Hazard for predators

Secondary poisoning

Hazard assessment conclusion:
insufficient hazard data available (further information necessary)

Additional information

Ecotoxicological effects of mercury have been extensively studied in the past, and several comprehensive reviews by renowned organizations, such as RIVM (Slooff W 1995) and EUROCHLOR already exist. The information on ecotoxicological endpoints contained in the Integrated Criteria document Mercury from Slooff et al (1995) and the voluntary EUROCHLOR risk assessment on mercury (VRAR Mercury, 1999) were used as primary basis the for derivation of PNEC values for the different environmental compartments (aquatic, sediment and soil). These data were updated with new information on similar endpoints that has been published between 1995 and 2009. K1/K2-data were determined from a new literature search to ensure that sufficient high-quality data were at hand to develop an SSD according to the recommendations that were formulated in the London Workshop, and which were adopted in RIP 3.2 (Chapter R.10) (ECHA, 2008). The transformation of inorganic mercury into more toxic organometallic forms has been addressed in the selection of the size of the assessment factor. For the aquatic compartment (freshwater and marine) enough high quality chronic effects data were available to derive a PNECaquatic according to the statistical extrapolation methodology (SSD). For the other compartments the classical Assessment Factor (AF) approach has been applied.

Conclusion on classification

Commission Directive 98/98/EC of December 1998 (which adapted Council Directive 67/548/EEC on the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances to technical progress for the 25th time) introduced environmental classification and labelling for mercury as shown below.

- CLP: Aquatic Chronic 1 (Hazard statement: H410: Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects). Aquatic Acute Category 1 (H400: Very toxic to aquatic life)

- Directive 98/98/EEC: N; R50/53 Dangerous for the environment; Very toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.