Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 240-383-3 | CAS number: 16291-96-6 An amorphous form of carbon produced by partially burning or oxidizing wood or other organic matter.
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
Justification for classification or non-classification
The repeated dose toxicity of charcoal has not been studied in humans while limited data are available in mammals in general. However, there is a significant amount of data with regard to the use of activated charcoal for medical purposes indicating that there is no undue risk of humans at therapeutic dose levels.
Moreover, there are several studies examining the effects of charcoal enriched diet on chickens and birds in general (see Section “Toxicity to birds”) indicating that dietary exposure of birds to charcoal not only has no adverse effect but in the contrary in most of the cases the addition of charcoal in bird’s diet has a beneficial impact on birds’ health.
In addition, the low oral repeated toxicity of charcoal is further supported by the available scientific literature studying the effect of charcoal consumption by monkeys (Struhsakeret al.,1997).
Considering the use pattern of charcoal (end-use product) only unintentional exposure may occur which is not expected to cause any effect.
Charcoal may contain hydrocarbons in the volatile matter (such as hexane and n- octane) which are classified as Specific Target Organ Toxicity – Repeated Exposure Category 2 (STOT RE 2) withH373: May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure (dermal route),but the total concentration of these molecules is below the trigger concentration according to the EC Regulation 1272/2008.
As a result, charcoal is not responsible for classification concerning the repeated dose toxicity.
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