Aluminium potassium bis(sulphate)

Short-term toxicity to fish

Description of key information

The LC50 of two Key studies of aluminium potassium bis(sulphate) is > 100 mg/L. The first Key study from Kitamura is a Limit test with different hardness. In all tests  the LC50-48h with Tanichthys albonubes as fish species was > 100 mg/L. The second  Key study from Terhaar et al. with Pimephales promelas as fish species gave an LC50-96h of > 1000 mg/L until  < 10000 mg/L of the substance. The Supporting studies from Wallen et al. with aluminium sulphate as one of the  dissociation products of aluminium potassium bis(sulphate) and Gundersen et al. with aluminium chloride to show the effect from aluminium ion resulted in LC50-96h values of 235 mg/L Al with Gambusia affinis as fish species and 59.1 until 73.5 mg/L calculated as aluminium potassium bis(sulphate) with Oncorhynchus mykiss as fish species. In the third supporting study from Hall et al. with aluminium sulphate as read across substance and one of the dissociation products of aluminium potassium bis sulphate it was not possible to calculate an LC50 with Pimephales promelas as fish species. In the two supporting studies by Shuhaimi-Othman et al. (published 2015), freshwater species Rasbora sumatrana and Poecilia reticulata were exposed to aluminium sulphate for 96 hours. Obtained LC50 correspond to ca. 15 and ca. 64 mg/l aluminium potassium bis(sulphate), respectively. In the supporting study by DeForest et al. (published 2018), experimental data on the toxicity (EC10) of aluminium to P. promelas is summarized. The results illustrate the influence of the water characteristics (dissolved organic carbon, pH, hardness) on the toxicity. Probable cause are alterations in the bioavailability with changing water characteristics. The supporting studies from Linden, Trama and Mount are studies with potassium sulphate as read across substance and as the other dissociation product of aluminium potassium bis(sulphate). The LC50-96h are 1060 mg/L, 1582 mg/L and 680 mg/L as potassium sulphate with Alburnus alburnus, Lepomis macrochirus and Pimephales promelas as fish species. All  fish species in the studies are freshwater fishes. The selected LC50 for chemical safety assessment for freshwater fish is 110 mg/L. The LC50-values of Supporting studies of aluminium sulphate and potassium sulphate are > 10 mg/L. In the study on aluminium chloride the LC50-96h calculated for aluminium potassium bis(sulphate): 59.11- 73.48 mg/L. Therefore there is no classification for acute aquatic toxicity of the substance aluminium potassium bis(sulphate) necessary according CLP criteria.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Fresh water fish

Fresh water fish

Effect concentration:

110 mg/L

Additional information

The selected LC50 for chemical safety assessment for freshwater fish is 110 mg/L.

Therefore there is no classification for acute aquatic toxicity of the substance aluminium potassium bis (sulphate)

according to CLP criteria.

The low LC 50 values of Al in the study of Gundersen et al. come from aluminium chloride and

differ very strong from the results of the supporting aluminium sulfate studies and the aluminium

potassium bis(sulphate) key studies.