Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
Data platform availability banner - registered substances factsheets
Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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
Use of this information is subject to copyright laws and may require the permission of the owner of the information, as described in the ECHA Legal Notice.
EC number: 235-186-4 | CAS number: 12125-02-9
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
Key value for chemical safety assessment
- Bioaccumulation potential:
- no bioaccumulation potential
Additional information
Ammonium chloride is an inorganic fine crystalline homogenous powder (at 20°C). It has a molecular weight of 53.491 g/mol and is very soluble in water (> 10000 mg/L at 20°C) (see section 4.8: water solubility).
Absorption
In an acute (gavage) study with rats, ammonium chloride caused mortality in both sexes. An LD50 of 1410 mg/kg bw was established based on observed mortality. Clinical signs of toxicity included dyspnoea, apathy, abnormal position, staggering, twitching, atony, tonic convulsions, poor general state and exophthalmia (BASF AG, 1983). The expression of systemic toxicity in rats after oral exposure allows the conjecture that systemic exposure to Ammonium Chloride occurs after absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.
No experimental data are available assessing the the dermal and inhalative absorption of ammonium chloride. However, in view of its low molecular mass (less than 200 g/mol), its very high water solubility, and the fact that systemic exposure occurs via the gastrointestinal tract, it is very likely that absorption of ammonium chloride will occur if inhaled (Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment R7c). Based on the particle size distribution analysis, ammonium chloride will potentially be deposited in the upper respiratory tract as ca. 37% of ammonium chloride particles have an aerodynamic diameter < 100 µm while particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 µm and/or 4 µm, respectively are absent (see Chapter particle size distribution). Hence, potential absorption is expected to be restricted to the upper respiratory tract.
Based on its physiochemical properties, dermal absorption of ammonium chloride is expected to be low. With its water solubility higher than 10000 mg/L, ammonium chloride may be too hydrophilic to cross the lipid rich environment of the stratum corneum (Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment R7c).
Distribution
In vivo, ammonium chloride is present in its ionized form, viz. NH4+ and Cl- ions. NH4+ exists in equilibrium with ammonia (NH3). Cell membranes are relatively impermeable to ionized ammonia NH4+, whereas un-ionized NH3 passes tissue barriers with ease. NH3 is normally present in all tissues constituting a metabolic pool (IPSC, Environ. Health Criteria 54, Ammonia, 1986). Chloride ions are also present in all tissues.
Metabolism
Ammonium chloride rapidly dissociates in biological fluids to yield the ammonium ion (NH4+) and chloride ion (Cl-). Ammonium ions then reach equilibrium with ammonia (NH3) in a pH-dependent manner. Oral administration of ammonium chloride to volunteers caused transient increases in blood-ammonia (IPSC, Environ. Health Criteria 54, Ammonia, 1986). In rats, plasma chloride and urinary ammonia levels were also transiently increased after oral administration (Lina, 2004). Nitrogen arising from ammonium chloride is incorporated into amino acids and proteins. Human volunteers receiving a protein reduced diet were exposed to orally radio-labelled ammonium chloride. Only 35 % of applied radioactivity was excreted. Volunteers on a normal diet however, excreted 70 % of the radioactivity. In the liver, NH4+ ions are transformed into urea.
Excretion
In the liver, ammonia is transformed to urea which is then excreted via urine. Faecal excretion is not significant. The major routes for chloride excretion are perspiration and in urine. Due to the physico-chemical properties of the test item, no bioaccumulation is expected.
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
Reproduction or further distribution of this information may be subject to copyright protection. Use of the information without obtaining the permission from the owner(s) of the respective information might violate the rights of the owner.