Germanium tetrachloride

Acute Toxicity: inhalation

Administrative data

Endpoint:

acute toxicity: inhalation

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Study well documented , although only 1 concentration tested and 1h exposure, meets generally accepted scientific principles, acceptable for assessment.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

study report

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

1990

Report date:

1990

Materials and methods

Principles of method if other than guideline:

A single one-hour (3.3g/m³) whole body exposure

GLP compliance:

yes (incl. QA statement)

Test type:

other: A single one-hour whole body exposure

Limit test:

no

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Germanium tetrachloride

EC Number:

233-116-7

EC Name:

Germanium tetrachloride

Cas Number:

10038-98-9

Molecular formula:

Cl4Ge

IUPAC Name:

germanium tetrachloride

Test material form:

other: vapor

Details on test material:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): germanium tetrachloride
- Physical state: liquid
- Analytical purity: ultrapure
- Storage condition of test material: room temperature

Test animals

Species:

rat

Strain:

Sprague-Dawley

Sex:

male/female

Details on test animals or test system and environmental conditions:

TEST ANIMALS
- Source: Charles River Laboratories, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina
- Age at study initiation: 49 weeks
- Weight at study initiation: male: 232.6-269.0 g; female: 200.0-209.1 g
- Fasting period before study: no information
- Housing: individually housed in elevated, stainless-steel, wire-mesh cages
- Diet: Purina certified rodent laboratory chow 5002 ad libitum
- Water: Tap water ad libitum
- Acclimation period: 2 weeks

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
- Temperature: 25°C
- Humidity (%): 43-60
- Air changes (per hr): no information
- Photoperiod (hrs dark / hrs light): 12hrs dark /12 hrs light

Administration / exposure

Route of administration:

inhalation: vapour

Type of inhalation exposure:

whole body

Vehicle:

air

Details on inhalation exposure:

GENERATION OF TEST ATMOSPHERE / CHAMBER DESCRIPTION
- Exposure apparatus: A Razel syringe pump (Model A-99) was used to pump the liquid test material, contained in a 10ml Hamilton glass and Teflon syringe, to an atomizer for generation of the vapor. Compressed air was metered to the atomizer through a 0-40Lpm Dwyer flowmeter and a backpressure gauge. The resultant vapor-laden airstream was directed from the atomizer to the inlet of the exposure chamber.
- Exposure chamber volume: 100-liter plexiglass exposure chamber
- Temperature, humidity, pressure in air chamber: continuously monitored during the exposure

TEST ATMOSPHERE
- Samples taken from breathing zone: yes

Analytical verification of test atmosphere concentrations:

yes

Duration of exposure:

1 h

Concentrations:

379ppm (conversion factor of 114.3 = 1mg/L) = 3.315g/m3

No. of animals per sex per dose:

5

Control animals:

yes

Details on study design:

- Duration of observation period following administration: 4days
- Frequency of observations and weighing: prior to exposure (day1) and at terminal sacrifice (day4)
- Necropsy of survivors performed: no
- Other examinations performed: clinical signs, body weight, gross pathology

Statistics:

Calculation of time-weighted-average (TWA) exposure levels were performed using a program developed and validated by Hazleton laboratories America, Inc.

Results and discussion

Effect levels

Sex:

male/female

Dose descriptor:

other: EC100

Effect level:

3 315 mg/m³ air

Based on:

test mat.

Exp. duration:

1 h

Remarks on result:

other: necrotic paw(s) and/or nose, rough haircoat, opaque or squinted eye(s), swollen paw(s), few or no feces, pale ears and eyes, urine stains, increased secretory responses, respiratory distress , languid behavior and loss of body weight

Mortality:

Due to the corrosive nature of the test material and the clinical signs displayed by the animals, all animals were sacrificed for humane reasons on test day 4

Clinical signs:

other: -languid behavior, squinted eyes, dyspnea, opaque eyes, urine stains, wheezing and red or green colored crusts were exhibited by the animals during exposure or at the 30 or 60 minutes post-exposure period -clinical signs observed during the test day 2-4 p

Body weight:

almost all animals showed a weight loss on test day 4 compared to their pretest body weight

Gross pathology:

swollen, necrotic, and/or sores on the paw(s), necrotic skin, eschar on the skin, pale kidney, pale eye, opaque external eye, raised area on the external eye, pale spleen, mottled lung and dark nasal turbinate

Other findings:

none

Any other information on results incl. tables

none

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Interpretation of results:

other: substance is extremely corrosive

Remarks:

Criteria used for interpretation of results: EU

Conclusions:

By vapor exposure, this material was unique in that the injury of tissue (necrosis) was markedly greater for the skin than for the respiratory tract.
Due to the complete hydrolysis of the substance with formation of HCl, the respiratory effects and classification are based on those of HCl (STOT SE 3)

Executive summary:

One group of 5 male and 5 female Sprague-Dawley rats received a single one-hour whole-body exposure to germanium tetrachloride as a vapor at an analytical concentration of approximately 379 parts per million (v/v, in air). Clinical signs associated with treatment included necrotic paw(s) and/or nose, rough haircoat, opaque or squinted eye(s), swollen paw(s), few or no feces, pale ears and eyes, urine stains, increased secretory responses, respiratory distress , languid behavior and loss of body weight. Due to the extemely poor physical condition of the animals, they were sacrificed for humane reasons on test day 4 instead of test day 14. Gross postmortem examinations of sacrificed animals revealed swollen, necrotic, and/or sores on the paw(s), necrotic skin, eschar on the skin, pale kidney, pale eye, opaque external eye, raised area on the external eye, pale spleen, mottled lung and dark nasal turbinate.

It was concluded that, by vapor exposure, this material was unique in that the injury of tissue (necrosis) was markedly greater for the skin than for the respiratory tract.