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EC number: 232-260-8 | CAS number: 7803-51-2
- 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
Description of key information
The acute inhalation of phosphine is high. Four-hour LC50 value between 26.5 ppm (37.5 mg/m3)
and 33.4 ppm (47.3 mg/m3), for mice, has been reported (Omae et al., 1996). For rat, different LC50 values have been reported: 28 ppm (39.7 mg/m3)/5.2 hours (Newton et al., 1993) and 11 ppm (15.6 mg/m3)/ 4 hours (Waritz and Brown, 1975).
Early symptoms of acute phosphine exposure include respiratory problems, dizziness, general fatigue and gastrointestinal disturbance.
The effects on mice and on rat seem to be equivalent.
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Acute toxicity: via inhalation route
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- adverse effect observed
- Dose descriptor:
- LC50
- Value:
- 37.5 mg/m³ air
- Quality of whole database:
- Several GLP guideline studies where the actual report and a literature reference are available.
Additional information
All the studies mentioned hereafter have been performed using whole-body exposures of animals to
phosphine.
Omae et al. (1996) determined a 1-hour LC50 >59.2 ppm (the highest concentration tested), and a 4-hour LC50 was between 26.5 and 33.4 ppm in male mice. Newton et al. (1991 study report, 1993 lit ref) defined a 6-hour LC50 of 28 ppm for male and female Sprague-Dawley rats; previously Newton (1989) determined a 6 hours LC 50 of > 11 ppm (highest dose tested). Muthu et al. (1980) calculated a 5.2 hours LC50 of 28 ppm and LC95 values of 45 ppm and 33.3 ppm for 6.2 -h and 8.8 h, respectively, in female albino rats. Nachreiner and Dodd (1986) found the LC50 in male and female rats to be 57 ppm. Signs of respiratory irritation, including hyperemia of the ears, salivation, lacrimation, face pawing, and dyspnea
were observed in rats during this study. A 4-hour LC50 of 11 ppm of phosphine was reported for male rats (Waritz and Brown, 1975). The concentration×time products from these data are relatively constant across species except for the Waritz and Brown (1975) data, which appear to be an outlier.
Clinical signs in mice included facewashing movements, increased activity in the initial exposure period, followed by a slowing in response to tapping on the chamber glass, supine posture, slight tremor, piloerection, mild loss of spontaneous motor activity progressing to complete loss of motor activity, ocular cloudiness, and moribundity.
Exposure to phosphine affected multiple endpoints in rats and mice. Rats exposed for 6 hours exhibited increased hematology values at 10 and 18 ppm; decreased body weight at 12, 18, and 26 ppm; and tremors, hunched appearance, decreased activity, and death at 26 ppm (Newton 1991). Rats exposed to 2.5, 5.0, or 10 ppm of phosphine for 6 hours exhibited a red nasal discharge (Newton et al. 1993).
Justification for classification or non-classification
Phosphine is listed on Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 includes lists of harmonised classification and labelling.
On table 3.2 (classification and labelling in accordance with the criteria set up in Annex VI to Directive 67/548/EEC),, phosphine is listed with very toxic R26 (T+ , very toxic by inhalation) and corrosive R34 (C, causes burns) classification. No change to this classification is proposed.
On table 3.1(classification and labelling in accordance with the criteria set up in Annex I to the Regulation), phosphine is listed with Acute Tox. Category 2 H330 (fatal if inhaled) and Skin Corr category 1B H314 (causes severe skin burns and eye damage) classification. On the basis of the LC50 values and the concentration-time product, a change is proposed on the Acute category. The new acute classification is Acute Tox. Category 1 H330 (Fatal if inhaled) (ATE < 100 ppm). No change is proposed for Skin Corr. Category 1B H314 (causes severe skin burns and eye damage).
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.
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