Registration Dossier
Registration Dossier
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EC number: 231-714-2 | CAS number: 7697-37-2
Ecotoxicological Summary
Administrative data
Hazard for aquatic organisms
Freshwater
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no hazard identified
Marine water
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no hazard identified
STP
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no hazard identified
Sediment (freshwater)
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no hazard identified
Sediment (marine water)
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no hazard identified
Hazard for air
Air
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no hazard identified
Hazard for terrestrial organisms
Soil
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no hazard identified
Hazard for predators
Secondary poisoning
- Hazard assessment conclusion:
- no potential for bioaccumulation
Additional information
Nitrogen is an important nutrient in ecosystems: it is essential for microorganisms, plants and animals.
Nitric acid almost completely (93% at 0,1 M) ionizes into the nitrate ion NO3- and the hydronium H3O+ under environmental conditions. Once released in the environment, it may be deposited in water, soil and vegetation. When spilled onto soil, nitric acid will infiltrate according to the soil viscosity. During transport through the soil, nitric acid will dissolve some of the soil material, in particular, carbonate based materials (OECD SIDS Nitric acid Assessment Report, 2008; HSDB, 1999). The nitrate released from nitric acid is taken up by plants or denitrified by microorganisms to nitrogen or nitrous oxide.
Because of the quick dissolution nitric acid undergoes once in contact with water, when nitric acid is applied as fertilizer, very low pH values can be attained. The acidity will then gradually diffuse into the soil surrounding the band.
Nitric acid exposed to air will result in nitrogen oxides release (mainly NO2 and NO, OECD SIDS Nitric acid Assessment Report, 2008).
Conclusion on classification
The main characteristic of the nitric acid that drives its toxicity is embedded in the fact it is a (strong) acid that dissociates in water into its respective ions H+ and NO3- and will affect the environment and its organisms by decreasing the pH. The increasing nitrate concentration is judged to have a minor effect on aquatic organisms compared to the effect of pH. The EU limit value of 50 mg NO3-/L (0.8 mmol NO3-/L) for water corresponds to a pH of 3.1 when all nitrate comes from nitric acid. Therefore, the effects assessment of nitric acid is focused on the pH effect and to a certain extent, this is also a read across exercise that identifies a category of substances which toxicological behavior can be characterized based on the acid properties of the substance.
The substance will therefore not be classified for environmental hazards, based on the available information.
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