Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 232-260-8 | CAS number: 7803-51-2
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
Phosphine is a gas showing a very high volatility (Vapour pressure of > 39000 hPa & Henry's law constant 340335 Pa m³/mol at 25°C). Giving the physical nature of phosphine and due to the difficulty to test it meaningfully, no reliable experimental aquatic results are available.
The possible effects of phosphine gas to the aquatic environment have been considered previously by multiple authorities, usually linked to the use of aluminum phosphide and magnesium phosphide which both release phosphine as their active ingredient for pest control (WHO, EFSA, EU Biocides dossier). In all cases, the conclusions reached in those evaluations agree on the fact that due to its very high volatility, limited exposure is expected. This is also due to the fact that the uses reported are applications in closed environments resulting in minimal aquatic exposure.
There are however a few studies on acute toxicity to fish species (of unknown reliability, sometimes even indicated as not reliable by peer-review) indicating a potential for very high toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Species |
Time-scale |
Descriptor |
Toxicity value (mg/L) |
Based on |
Source |
Oncorhynchus mykiss |
96 h |
LC50 |
0.00468 0.0097 |
Phosphine Aluminium phosphide |
EU Biocides dossier, 2009; EFSA, 2008 |
Lepomis macrochirus |
96h |
LC50 |
0.0611 0.126 |
Phosphine Aluminium phosphide |
WHO IPCS ,1988 |
Brachydanio rerio |
96h |
LC50 |
0.02815 0.048 |
Phosphine Aluminium phosphide |
EFSA, 2008 |
They are considered as sufficient and therefore a classification as H400 was applied (M-factor 100). This is also in agreement with the current harmonised classification and labelling.
There are also a few studies on acute toxicity to invertebrates and algae available but they are usually indicated as not reliable, and since the values of EC50 found are higher than the LC50 observed for fish, they were not taken into consideration (Daphnia 24h EC50 0.2 mg/L; S. capricornutum 48h ErC50 1.44 mg/L).
Sources
EFSA Scientific Report (2008) 190, 1-73 – Conclusion on the peer review of magnesium phosphide
EFSA Scientific Report (2008) 182, 1-78 – Conclusion on the peer review of aluminium phosphide
EFSA Scientific Report (2008) 183, 1-59 – Conclusion on the peer review of calcium phosphide
WHO (1988) – IPCS: Phosphine and selected metal phosphides
Biocidal products Assessment Report (2009) – Aluminium phosphide releasing phosphine
Additional information
All the available data, even if quoted reliability 4, suggest that Phosphine is very toxic to aquatic organism, with toxicity threshold stricly below 1 mg/L.
As indicated by the current harmonised classification and labelling, phosphine is H400 Very toxic to aquatic organisms.
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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