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EC number: 200-879-2 | CAS number: 75-56-9
- 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
Description of key information
An in vitro skin corrosion test was available, performed according to OECD guideline 431. In this test propylene oxide was considered non-corrosive Harlan 2010a ).In an in vivo skin irritation study in rabbits (GLP and OECD 404) propylene oxide was considered not skin irritating (Harlan 2010b).
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Skin irritation / corrosion
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- no adverse effect observed (not irritating)
Eye irritation
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- adverse effect observed (irritating)
Respiratory irritation
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- adverse effect observed (irritating)
Additional information
Information available from human reports indicates propylene oxide is irritating to the eye and respiratory tract. Studies in animals confirm that propylene oxide is irritating to the respiratory tract. Clinical observations of respiratory tract irritation were observed in acute tests on rats, mice and guinea pigs that inhaled high exposure concentrations of propylene oxide (Rowe et al., 1956; NTP, 1985) and clinical signs and pathology evidence of respiratory tract irritation were observed in rats and mice that were exposed to repeated high concentrations of propylene oxide (NTP, 1985; Harkema, 2006; Dow Chemical Company, 2009).
There are no reports of human skin irritation associated with propylene oxide exposure. Propylene oxide has been tested in anin vitrotest and on animals and the results demonstrate this substance is not a skin irritant.
An initial assessment of propylene oxide skin irritancy/corrosion potential was performed using thein vitroEPISKIN test. In this test the substance is applied topically to the stratum corneum surface, at the air interface, so that undiluted and or end use dilutions can be tested directly. The test is based on the experience that corrosive chemicals are sufficiently cytotoxic after a short term exposure to the EPISKIN model. Corrosive chemicals are able to penetrate the stratum corneum and are sufficiently cytotoxic to cause cell death in the underlying cell layers. Toxicity is determined by the metabolic conversion of the vital dye MTT to formazan by viable cells in the test material treated cultures relative to the negative. Validation studies have shown that tests employing human skin models are able to reliably distinguish between known skin corrosives and non-corrosives. The relative mean viability of the propylene oxide treated tissues in EPISKIN test were as follows: 240 minute-exposure: 96.4%, 60 minute-exposure: 119.4% and 3 minute-exposure: 141.3%. The test material was considered to be Non-Corrosive to the skin (Harlan Laboratories Ltd., 2010c)
Propylene oxide was also tested in anin vivotest in rabbits (according to OECD 404 and GLP). Both the erythema and oedema mean scores were not above 2.0 from the timepoints 24 hours onwards (Harlan Laboratories Ltd, 2010d) demonstrating the low skin irritancy of this substance.
The
results of both studies indicate that classification of propylene oxide
as a skin irritant is not justified.
Effects on eye irritation: irritating
Effects on respiratory irritation: irritating
Justification for classification or non-classification
According to EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP) Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 - 9th ATP 19 July 2016, the classification is Cat. 2 for eye; H319 (Causes serious eye irritation) and Cat.3, H335 (may cause respiratory irritation).
However, based on the results of new test data, propylene oxide is demonstrated not irritating to the skin and hence classification as a skin irritant, either according to DSD/DPD or CLP is not justified.
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