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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Ecotoxicological information

Endpoint summary

Administrative data

Description of key information

Acute toxicity to aquatic invertebrates


Acutely, zirconium dioxide was not found to be harmful to aquatic invertebrates, as demonstrated in an OECD 202 guideline study, in which no significant immobilisation was observed at an initial nominal loading rate of 100 mg/L.


In a similar OECD 202 guideline study for erbium oxide, no significant immobilisation was observed in a 100% v/v saturated solution of erbium oxide in the test medium.


Acute toxicity to fish


An OECD 203 study with zirconium dioxide, in which no mortality or other adverse effects were observed at a (nominal) concentration of 100 mg/L, indicated that zirconium dioxide is not acutely harmful or toxic to fish.


Toxicity to algae


Studies with zirconium compounds, whether 'water soluble' or insoluble, indicate that the observed growth inhibitory effects can be attributed to phosphate depletion of the test medium. Zirconium forms strong complexes with phosphate and therefore, when in excess, precipitates all phosphate from the test medium. No evidence has been found for direct toxic effects to occur to algae upon exposure to zirconium compounds. The phosphate depletion effect in limited systems such as used during aquatic ecotoxicity tests is not considered environmentally relevant and therefore zirconium dioxide and the tested zirconium compounds are not considered toxic to algae.


A similar phosphate complexing behaviour is known for rare earth elements such as erbium. Because phosphate complexation in algal growth inhibition tests hampers the generation of meaningful test results, it was decided not to add experimental data on the effect of erbium oxide or other erbium compounds on algal growth to this dossier.


Conclusion on erbium zirconium oxide


It is expected that the substance will have a similar aquatic ecotoxicity profile as the read across substances zirconium dioxide and erbium oxide, more specifically that it is not expected to cause any adverse effects on living organisms in the aquatic environment.

Additional information