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EC number: 200-001-8 | CAS number: 50-00-0
- 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

Toxicity to terrestrial plants
Administrative data
Link to relevant study record(s)
Description of key information
In accordance with Annex IX of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, the equilibrium partitioning method has been used for assessing the hazard to soil organisms.
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
Reliable studies on the short and long term toxicity of formaldehyde to plants are available. These studies are reliable, however they were not performed according to current guidelines and therefore not been considered for the derivation of PNECsoil. In accordance with Annex IX of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, the equilibrium partitioning method has been used for assessing the hazard to soil organisms.
Short term toxicity to plants:
A 5 h exposure to formaldehyde at 0.44 mg/m3 (0.37 ppm) resulted in a significant reduction in pollen-tube length, whereas a 1 or 2 h exposure was innocuous. When the formaldehyde concentration was increased to 2.88 mg/m3 (2.4 ppm), a 1 h exposure caused a decrease in tube length (Masaru et al., 1976).
The most sensitive effect for terrestrial organisms resulting from exposure to formaldehyde in air was an increase in the growth of shoots, but not of roots, of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) after exposure to average measured concentrations of 78, 128, 239 and 438 μg/m3 in air (day: 25°C, 40% humidity; night: 14°C, 60% humidity) for 7 hours per day, 3 days per week, for 4 weeks, beginning at the appearance of the first macroscopic floral bud, 20 days after emergence (Mutters et al., 1993). Although the authors concluded that there were no short-term harmful effects, it has been suggested that an imbalance between shoot and root growth may increase a plant’s vulnerability to environmental stresses such as drought, because the root system may not be large enough to provide water and nutrients for healthy plant growth (Barker & Shimabuku, 1992).
Long term toxicity to plants:
Effects on plants were also studied following exposure to formaldehyde in fog water. Seedlings of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), aspen (Populus tremuloides), rapeseed (Brassica rapa) and slash pine (Pinus elliotti) were exposed to formaldehyde concentrations of 0, 9000 or 27 000 μg/L in fog for 4.5 hours per night, 3 nights per week, for 40 days. Based on an unspecified Henry’s law constant, calculated corresponding atmospheric gas-phase formaldehyde concentrations were 0, 18 and 54 μg/m3, respectively. In rapeseed grown in the formaldehyde fog, significant (p ≤ 0.1) reductions in leaf area, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, flower number and number of mature siliques (seed pods that produce seed) were observed compared with control plants. The slash pine showed a significant increase in needle and stem growth. No effects were observed in the wheat or aspen at test concentrations (Barker & Shimabuku, 1992).
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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