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EC number: 231-714-2 | CAS number: 7697-37-2
- 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
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Additional information
Read accross with nitrates, as defined in the read-accross sodium and potassium nitrates are the nitrates with most structural similarities with nitric acid.
Nitric acid:
Under the conditions of the bacterial reverse mutation assay realized by BASF in 1989 (similar to OECD 471), nitric acid was not mutagenic.
Potassium nitrate:
From the studies of Prival & al, 1991 and Ishidate & al, 1984, potassium nitrate (similar to OECD 471), potassium nitrate was not mutagenic.
From the study of Ishidate & al, 1984, potassium nitrate does not cause chromosome aberration.
Under the conditions of the tests realized according to OECD 476 in 2010 in Notox, potassium nitrate was not mutagenic in mouse lymphoma L5178Y test system.
All studies performed on potassium nitrates provide negative results and thus it can be concluded that this substance does not cause genetic toxicity.
Sodium nitrate:
In vitro studies on sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate is not mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 1535, TA 1537, TA 98, TA 100, TA 92 and TA 94 with and without metabolic activation. No chromosomal aberrations or micronuclei were induced (not indicated whether metabolic activation was used). However, a chromosome aberration study in CHO cells did show positive effects without metabolic activation. Therefore, a new study was performed, and in this reliable OECD 473 guideline chromosome aberration study sodium nitrate did not show genotoxicity in human lymphocytes with or without metabolic activation. Several less reliable in vitro studies supported this conclusion.
In vivo study on sodium nitrate
An in vivo chromosomal aberration and micronucleus test was negative. No unscheduled DNA synthesis was demonstrated in an UDS test. No sperm abnormalities or effect on rate of spermatogenesis were induced. Sodium nitrate was not mutagenic in a heritable translocation test. In a chromosome aberration/micronucleus study in rats and mice, no increase in chromosome aberrations were found when animals were treated twice. However, an increase in aberrant metaphases was observed in rats that were treated for 2 weeks with a 24 hour sampling. Such a repeated dosing and long sampling time is not according requirements, and as studies with acute dosing do not show positive findings with regard to chromosome aberrations this positive finding is considered not reliable. However, in the micronucleus study with the mice with a short sampling time (6 hours), two acute doses resulted already in an induction of micronuclei.
Based on all genotoxicity studies present, together with the findings that sodium nitrate does not induce tumor formation at high doses (see carcinogenicity section), it is concluded that sodium nitrate is not genotoxic.
From the available study on nitric acid and the numerous studies in potassium and sodium nitrates, nitric acid is not expected to be genotoxic.
Justification for selection of genetic toxicity endpoint
An Ames test is available on the substance. Chromosome aberration on the read-across substances sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. A mouse lymphoma on the read-across substance potassium nitrate.
Short description of key information:
AMES test: Negative on nitric acid (one test similar to OECD471), negative sodium nitrate (two tests similar to OECD 471)and negative on potassium nitrate (one test similar to OECD 471)
Chromosome aberration: No data on nitric acid - Negative on sodium nitrate from new test realized according to OECD 473- Negative on potassium nitrate (one test similar to OECD 473)
Gene mutation: No data on nitric acid - No data on sodium nitrate - Negative on potassium nitrate (One test realized according to OECD 476)
The read-across rationale can be found in the category approach document attached in Section 13.
In vivo data: Data available on sodium nitrate- see discussion
Endpoint Conclusion: No adverse effect observed (negative)
Justification for classification or non-classification
From the results obtained on nitric acid, sodium and potassium nitrates and due to their structural similarities with nitric acid, it is possible to conclude that nitric acid is not expected to cause genetic toxicity and thus should not be classified according to the CLP Regulation.
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