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EC number: 266-007-8 | CAS number: 65996-74-9 The oxidized surface of steel produced during reheating, conditioning, hot rolling, and hot forming operations. This substance is usually removed by process waters used for descaling, roll and material cooling, and other purposes. It is subsequently recovered by gravity separation techniques. Composed primarily of high-purity iron oxides. May contain varying amounts of other oxides, elements, and trace compounds.
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
Three repeated-dose inhalation studies with rats have been summarized in this section of IUCLID Chapter 7: a 14-day study with FeO, Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, a 28-day study with Fe3O4 and a 90-day study with Fe3O4. These studies fully cover the REACH requirements as to the repeated-dose toxicity of Fe3O4 (magnetite). The three studies show at lower concentrations and/or exposure durations the normal clearance response, e.g., the mobilization of alveolar macrophages, without adverse effects in the respiratory tract. The higher concentrations and/or exposure durations tend to lead to the effects of particle overloading that are extensively described in literature: cytotoxicity, inflammation and cell proliferation (see for instance the reviews of Oberdörster 1995 and 2002). At 4.7 mg/m3 in the 90-day study there were slight increases of protein levels in the BAL, increased numbers of PMN and alveolar macrophages in the BAL and in the blood an increase of neutrophils (in the males). The author of the study reported these effects as borderline and to represent a normal adaptive response to the exposure to particles. He reported the 4.7 mg/m3 as a NOAEC. However, the effects observed at 4.7 mg/m3 can be regarded to be a result of a specific sensitivity of rats to particle overload and its sequela. In addition there were two intratracheal instillation studies with Fe2O3, in which hamsters were treated up to 15 times (once a week) with 3 mg of the substance. These very high doses did not result in clear-cut adverse effects.
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Repeated dose toxicity: inhalation - systemic effects
Endpoint conclusion
- Dose descriptor:
- NOAEC
- 4.7 mg/m³
- Study duration:
- subchronic
- Species:
- rat
Additional information
The inhalation studies adequately cover the requirements as to the endpoint repeated dose toxicity for magnetite.
- The inhalation studies have been carried out at concentrations near or exceeding those at which rats suffer from particle overload and the effects associated with this phenomenon.
- The effects observed in the inhalation studies are entirely in line with particle overload caused by so-called poorly soluble particles (PSPs).
- No effects were observed that could not be explained by particle overload by PSPs. This includes extra pulmonary effects.
- The effects were thus only determined by the fact that particles of a certain size and shape were inhaled and not by the specific chemical composition of the particles; in other words, no magnetite specific effects were observed.
- Rats are highly sensitive to become overloaded by the inhalation of respirable PSPs in comparison to other experimental animals and humans, which makes the derivation of a DNEL based on these studies impossible.
- The magnetite particles belong to a group (PSPs) for which a generic threshold exposure levels (TLVs, MACs etc.) have been developed. These levels should also be applied to magnetite particles instead of a DNEL derived from the 90 -day study.
- The instillation studies with hamsters demonstrate the low toxicity of Fe2O3 particles at very high dose levels for the respiratory organs.
- The available results point to the redundancy of separate inhalation studies with iron(II) oxide and iron(III) oxide because: o Magnetite is in fact an oxide of bivalent AND trivalent iron;
o It may be assumed that the bioavailability of iron will not differ much for the three oxides, which all have a very low water solubility;
o Iron(III) oxide particles shows no clear toxicity in instillation studies at very high doses, which indicates that also these particles will behave in inhalation studies as PSPs. Nevertheless, the three oxides may differ as regards the surface activity of their particles. In view of the fact that these three oxides are all three components of rust, the results of epidemiology (IUCLID Section 7.10) and the long history of human exposure to rust, it is deemed not necessary to investigate this further by means of additional inhalation studies.
Repeated dose toxicity: inhalation - systemic effects (target organ) respiratory: lung
Justification for classification or non-classification
The results of the inhalation studies clearly show the iron-oxide particles to behave as poorly soluble particles. This together with the lack of bioavailability after oral exposure and dermal exposure, signifies that no classification for repeated-dose toxicity is necessary.
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