Sodium sulphate

Toxic effects on livestock and pets

Administrative data

Endpoint:

toxic effects on livestock and pets

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Acceptable, well documented publication which meets basic scientific principles.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Effect of concentration and source of sulfate on nursery pig performance and health.

Author:

Veenhuizen, M.F., Shurson, G.C., Kohler, E.M.

Year:

1992

Bibliographic source:

JAVMA. 201(8):1203-1208.

Materials and methods

Principles of method if other than guideline:

The effect of sulfate in drinking water on nursery pig performance and health was examined over 28 days with 415 weaned pigs.

GLP compliance:

no

Limit test:

no

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Sodium sulphate

EC Number:

231-820-9

EC Name:

Sodium sulphate

Cas Number:

7757-82-6

Molecular formula:

Na2SO4

IUPAC Name:

disodium sulfate

Test animals

Species:

other: pig

Sex:

male/female

Details on test animals and environmental conditions:

- Age: 28 ± 2 days
- Weight at study initiation: 6.8 kg mean weight
- Number of animals: 415 (male/female, males were castrated)

Administration / exposure

Route of exposure:

other: oral: drinking water

Vehicle:

other: farm well water

Details on exposure:

- Duration of test/exposure: 4 weeks 
- Type of exposure: drinking water
- Post exposure period: not described 
- Feeding: pelleted 22% crude protein corn-soybean meal containing 20% dried whey. At the start of the third week the  crude protein content was 18%.

Analytical verification of doses or concentrations:

not specified

Duration of treatment / exposure:

28 days

Frequency of treatment:

daily, continuous in drinking water

Doses / concentrations

Remarks:

Doses / Concentrations:
54, 600 and 1800 mg/l
Basis:

No. of animals per sex per dose:

No data

Control animals:

yes, concurrent vehicle

Examinations

Observations and examinations performed and frequency:

- Clinical signs: Diarrhea, pathogenic E.coli and rota virus detection, enteropathogenicity in ligated intestinal loops, transmissable gastroentritus.
- Mortality: yes
- Body weight: yes, feed to gain ratio
- Food consumption: yes
- Water consumption: yes
- Ophthalmoscopic examination: no 
- Haematology: yes
- Biochemistry: no
- Urinalysis: no

Sacrifice and pathology:

- Macroscopic: no
- Microscopic: no

Other examinations:

-

Statistics:

7 replicates of 8 pigs/pen on water and 6 replicates of 8 pigs/pen for treatment with sulfate. Statistical evaluation compared mean water 
consumption, feed consumption, cumulative gain and feed-gain ratios by treatment group and week. Analysis of variance with repeated measures 
was used to account for  the differences in treatment group over time. Initial weight was used as covariate in all analysis. Diarrhea scores were 
evaluated on an individual basis, using a non-parametric repeated measures design.

Results and discussion

Clinical signs and mortality:

yes

Remarks:

Mortality: 1 pig (600 mg/l) died within the first week; Clinical signs: Increased prevalence of diarrhea was a trend as sulfate concentration increased. 

Body weight and weight gain:

yes

Remarks:

Bodyweight gain: Observations in week 4 were for both 600 and 1800 mg/l statistically significantly different increased

Food consumption and compound intake (if feeding study):

no effects

Water consumption and compound intake (if drinking water study):

no effects

Clinical chemistry:

yes

Any other information on results incl. tables

- Time of death: 1 pig died within the first week
- Number of deaths at each dose: 1 pig at 600 mg/l

 

TOXIC RESPONSE/EFFECTS BY DOSE LEVEL: 
- Clinical signs: Increased prevalence of diarrhea was a trend as sulfate concentration increased. 
- Body weight gain: cumulative weight in kg of body-weight/kg (sd)
_________________________________________________________

Week        Control        600 mg/l         1800 mg/l    
       
__________________________________________________________
1           0.79 (0.61)    0.94 (0.78)       0.80 (0.63)
2           2.56 (1.14)    2.78 (1.90)       2.4 (1.05)
3           4.30 (1.70)    5.05 (2.67)       4.49 (1.94)
4           6.53 (2.31)    7.59 (3.37)       7.16 (2.75)
__________________________________________________________

Observations in week 4 were for both 600 and 1800 mg/l statistically significantly different increased
- Food/water consumption: A non-significant trend in increase water intake was observed with increasing sulfate concentration. No differences in feed intake were observed between various sulfate concentrations. Feed to gain ratios for all treatments were not different.
- Clinical chemistry: isolates of E-coli were found in 14% of the pigs, from 1 pig rotavirus was isolated. No pigs were exposed to transmissible gastroenteritis virus. None of the treatments had an adverse effect on nursery pig performance.