Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 205-599-4 | CAS number: 143-33-9
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
In numerous in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies, there has been no evidence of genotoxicity of cyanide compounds.
Potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide can be considered as a chemical category, along with hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and acetone cyanohydrin (ACH, also known as 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanenitrile), based on structural similarity, similar physico-chemical properties and common breakdown/metabolic products in physical and biological systems. Particular attention is paid to the dissociation constant of HCN. In the vast majority of environmental and physiologic conditions, the cyanide salts will dissolve in water to form hydrogen cyanide. The physico-chemical hazards and toxicity result from the activity of this common proximal toxicant, HCN. Support for this category approach is provided in examination of acute and chronic toxicity by oral, dermal, ocular and intraperitoneal administration of various forms of cyanide and in aquatic and terrestrial compartments of the environment, which provide consistent and comparable values when expressed as mmol/kg bw. An ECETOC Task Force, in the 2007 ECETOC Joint Assessment of Commodity Chemicals ( JACC ) Report No. 53, “Cyanides of Hydrogen, Sodium and Potassium, and Acetone Cyanohydrin (CAS No. 74-90-8, 143-33-9, 151-50-8 and 75-86-5)” supports the development of this chemical category. Hydrogen cyanide (Index No.006-006-00-X) and salts of hydrogen cyanides (Index No.006-007-00-5) are both listed in Annex VI,Table 3.1 of Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008, entry 006-007-00-5, and are restricted in comparable ways taking into account physical characteristics. Thus, the assignment of potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide to a chemical category does not result in a less protective regulatory status.
Short description of key information:
Sodium and potassium salts of cyanide, when placed in tissue culture medium for in vitro tests or when administered to animals for in vivo testing, form hydrogen cyanide (HCN) at physiological pH, due to the pKa of 9.36 for HCN. Results of testing indicate that HCN is not mutagenic.
Endpoint Conclusion: No adverse effect observed (negative)
Justification for classification or non-classification
There is no evidence of genotoxicity of cyanide salts using standard test protocols.
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