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EC number: 232-490-9 | CAS number: 8052-42-4 A very complex combination of high molecular weight organic compounds containing a relatively high proportion of hydrocarbons having carbon numbers predominantly greater than C25 with high carbon-to-hydrogen ratios. It also contains small amounts of various metals such as nickel, iron, or vanadium. It is obtained as the non-volatile residue from distillation of crude oil or by separation as the raffinate from a residual oil in a deasphalting or decarbonization process.
- Life Cycle description
- Uses advised against
- Endpoint summary
- Appearance / physical state / colour
- Melting point / freezing point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Particle size distribution (Granulometry)
- Vapour pressure
- Partition coefficient
- Water solubility
- Solubility in organic solvents / fat solubility
- Surface tension
- Flash point
- Auto flammability
- Flammability
- Explosiveness
- Oxidising properties
- Oxidation reduction potential
- Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
- Storage stability and reactivity towards container material
- Stability: thermal, sunlight, metals
- pH
- Dissociation constant
- Viscosity
- Additional physico-chemical information
- Additional physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials
- Nanomaterial agglomeration / aggregation
- Nanomaterial crystalline phase
- Nanomaterial crystallite and grain size
- Nanomaterial aspect ratio / shape
- Nanomaterial specific surface area
- Nanomaterial Zeta potential
- Nanomaterial surface chemistry
- Nanomaterial dustiness
- Nanomaterial porosity
- Nanomaterial pour density
- Nanomaterial photocatalytic activity
- Nanomaterial radical formation potential
- Nanomaterial catalytic activity
- Endpoint summary
- Stability
- Biodegradation
- Bioaccumulation
- Transport and distribution
- Environmental data
- Additional information on environmental fate and behaviour
- Ecotoxicological Summary
- Aquatic toxicity
- Endpoint summary
- Short-term toxicity to fish
- Long-term toxicity to fish
- Short-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Long-term toxicity to aquatic invertebrates
- Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria
- Toxicity to aquatic plants other than algae
- Toxicity to microorganisms
- Endocrine disrupter testing in aquatic vertebrates – in vivo
- Toxicity to other aquatic organisms
- Sediment toxicity
- Terrestrial toxicity
- Biological effects monitoring
- Biotransformation and kinetics
- Additional ecotoxological information
- Toxicological Summary
- Toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution
- Acute Toxicity
- Irritation / corrosion
- Sensitisation
- Repeated dose toxicity
- Genetic toxicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Toxicity to reproduction
- Specific investigations
- Exposure related observations in humans
- Toxic effects on livestock and pets
- Additional toxicological data
Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
Complex substances such as bitumen do not lend themselves to toxicokinetic analysis as the properties and interactions of the individual constituents will influence the toxicokinetic behaviour. Toxicokinetics of some individual constituents, such as specific volatile organic compound and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) species have however been studied in more detail (Syracuse Research Corporation, 1985). The main routes for bitumen exposure in humans are inhalation and dermal. The major sites of potential uptake of constituents of bitumen in humans are the lungs and respiratory tract, after inhalation exposure to emissions from bitumen, and the skin, as a result of contact with neat bitumen, cutback bitumen or condensed fumes from bitumen. In general, the individual constituents of bitumen and fumes from bitumen undergo oxidative metabolism, which may lead to bioactivation. Whole body distribution of PAHs has been studied in rodents. These studies have demonstrated that low but detectable levels of PAHs may be found in internal organs, especially adipose tissue which may serve as a storage depot. In general, PAH are eliminated by urinary or biliary excretion of metabolites (ATSDR, 1999; IPCS, 2005).
A limited number of laboratory studies have been done with bitumen solutions, condensed fumes and fumes from bitumens. Also a limited number of studies have been performed in humans, either in volunteers or in workers. From these studies it is clear that some constituents, including PAH, can be absorbed through the skin and be taken up via the lungs. Dermal uptake was shown to be a function of viscosity and the bioavailability of neat bitumen is deemed to be negligible. The bioavailability of PAH from cutback bitumens is expected to be higher, but based on experimental data the amounts of PAH becoming available from the bitumen itself are too low to pose a carcinogenic hazard (Potter et al., 1999; Brandt et al., 1999; Potter et al., 1995). Experiments also show that PAHs in condensed fume from bitumen are bioavailable when the condensate is directly applied to the skin (Roy et al., 2007). Studies in human volunteers showed that under rather extreme experimental conditions, the uptake through the skin of 3- and 4-ring PAH from fumes from bitumen could account for about half of the total exposure (Knecht et al., 2001; Walter and Knecht, 2007). Studies in workers, under normal conditions as they occur during paving, gave evidence of dermal absorption and subsequent systemic availability of 2- to 4-ring PAH through the determination of urinary metabolites.
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