2-Propenoic acid, homopolymer

Endpoint summary

Description of key information

Information was obtained from read-across from supporting substance (acrylic acid) which is of moderate toxicity after a single ingestion and after short-term inhalation exposure. Acrylic acid is not toxic after short-term skin contact, when tested in non-corrosive concentrations.
- Oral: LD50 = 1500 mg/kg or 146-1405 mg/kg bw (rat) depending on the concentration tested
- Dermal: LD50 > 2000 mg/kg bw (rabbit, occlusive)
- Inhalation: LC50 > 5.1 mg/L (rat, vapour saturated atmosphere) 

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Acute toxicity: via oral route

Link to relevant study records

Reference

Endpoint:

acute toxicity: oral

Type of information:

read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

weight of evidence

Justification for type of information:

1. HYPOTHESIS FOR THE ANALOGUE APPROACH
- Read-across hypothesis: "Different compounds have the same type of effect(s)"

2. SOURCE AND TARGET CHEMICAL(S) (INCLUDING INFORMATION ON PURITY AND IMPURITIES)
- Target chemical: 2-Propenoic acid, homopolymer (purity ≥ 99.0%) = UVCB substance composed of acrylic acid monomers (Mw = 72 g/mol) and 2-carboxyethyl acrylate oligomers (average Mw = 208.8 g/mol)
- Source chemical: Acrylic acid = monoconstituent substance composed of acrylic acid monomers (Mw = 72 g/mol)

3. ANALOGUE APPROACH JUSTIFICATION
- Common structure: the constituents of the target and source chemicals share identical functional groups (i.e. one terminal carboxylic acid group and one terminal vinyl group) and only differ in the presence/absence of one or several -CH2-CH2-COO- pattern(s) in their structural backbones. This pattern being introduced as a result of (poly)addition reactions, it is only present in the polymerized units of acrylic acid (average number of -CH2-CH2-COO- patterns per vinyl group: < 3) and is absent from the monomer units.
- Common physico-chemical/fate properties: the target and source chemicals are both hydrophylic substances (log Pow < 1) with a high solubility in water and a low volatility (VP < 5 hPa). Both substances have a low potential for bioaccumulation in living organisms (log Pow < 4) and a low potential for persistence in environmental compartments (rapidly degradable).
- Common mode of action: the toxic effects of the target and source chemicals are expected to result from their acidic character (carboxylic acid group) and from the reactivity of their double bond (vinyl group). As the polyaddition reactions lead only to an increase in the chain length/molecular weight without an increase in the number of reactive functional groups, the low molecular-weight polymerized units of acrylic acid (from the test item) are not expected to exert higher toxicity than the monomer units. As a result, the target chemical, although only partially composed of acrylic acid monomers, is considered at the very worst to be as toxic as the source substance.

Further information (including data matrix) is available in the attached read-across justification document.

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

read-across source

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

read-across source

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

read-across source

Key result

Sex:

male/female

Dose descriptor:

LD50

Effect level:

>= 146 - <= 1 500 mg/kg bw

Based on:

act. ingr.

Interpretation of results:

Category 4 based on GHS criteria

Conclusions:

When administered orally to rats, the LD50 of the analogue acrylic acid ranged between 146 and 1500 mg/kg, depending on the concentration tested, the gender and the animal strain. Overall, the experimentally obtained acute oral toxicity values are consistent with the classification of the registered substance in category 4 according to the UN-GHS criteria.

Endpoint conclusion

Endpoint conclusion:

adverse effect observed

Dose descriptor:

LD50

Value:

1 500 mg/kg bw

Quality of whole database:

Acceptable with restrictions

Acute toxicity: via inhalation route

Link to relevant study records

Reference

Endpoint:

acute toxicity: inhalation

Type of information:

read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

key study

Justification for type of information:

1. HYPOTHESIS FOR THE ANALOGUE APPROACH
- Read-across hypothesis: "Different compounds have the same type of effect(s)"

2. SOURCE AND TARGET CHEMICAL(S) (INCLUDING INFORMATION ON PURITY AND IMPURITIES)
- Target chemical: 2-Propenoic acid, homopolymer (purity ≥ 99.0%) = UVCB substance composed of acrylic acid monomers (Mw = 72 g/mol) and 2-carboxyethyl acrylate oligomers (average Mw = 208.8 g/mol)
- Source chemical: Acrylic acid = monoconstituent substance composed of acrylic acid monomers (Mw = 72 g/mol)

3. ANALOGUE APPROACH JUSTIFICATION
- Common structure: the constituents of the target and source chemicals share identical functional groups (i.e. one terminal carboxylic acid group and one terminal vinyl group) and only differ in the presence/absence of one or several -CH2-CH2-COO- pattern(s) in their structural backbones. This pattern being introduced as a result of (poly)addition reactions, it is only present in the polymerized units of acrylic acid (average number of -CH2-CH2-COO- patterns per vinyl group: < 3) and is absent from the monomer units.
- Common physico-chemical/fate properties: the target and source chemicals are both hydrophylic substances (log Pow < 1) with a high solubility in water and a low volatility (VP < 5 hPa). Both substances have a low potential for bioaccumulation in living organisms (log Pow < 4) and a low potential for persistence in environmental compartments (rapidly degradable).
- Common mode of action: the toxic effects of the target and source chemicals are expected to result from their acidic character (carboxylic acid group) and from the reactivity of their double bond (vinyl group). As the polyaddition reactions lead only to an increase in the chain length/molecular weight without an increase in the number of reactive functional groups, the low molecular-weight polymerized units of acrylic acid (from the test item) are not expected to exert higher toxicity than the monomer units. As a result, the target chemical, although only partially composed of acrylic acid monomers, is considered at the very worst to be as toxic as the source substance.

Further information (including data matrix) is available in the attached read-across justification document.

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

read-across source

Key result

Sex:

male/female

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect level:

> 5.1 mg/L air

Based on:

act. ingr.

Interpretation of results:

GHS criteria not met

Conclusions:

When exposing rats to vapours, the LC50 of the analogue acrylic acid was strictly above 5.1 mg/L. Based on the absence of mortality or signs of overt toxicity at this concentration, the experimentally obtained acute inhalation toxicity values are consistent with the absence of classification of the registered substance according to the UN-GHS criteria.

Endpoint conclusion

Endpoint conclusion:

no adverse effect observed

Quality of whole database:

Acceptable with restrictions

Acute toxicity: via dermal route

Link to relevant study records

Reference

Endpoint:

acute toxicity: dermal

Type of information:

read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

key study

Justification for type of information:

1. HYPOTHESIS FOR THE ANALOGUE APPROACH
- Read-across hypothesis: "Different compounds have the same type of effect(s)"

2. SOURCE AND TARGET CHEMICAL(S) (INCLUDING INFORMATION ON PURITY AND IMPURITIES)
- Target chemical: 2-Propenoic acid, homopolymer (purity ≥ 99.0%) = UVCB substance composed of acrylic acid monomers (Mw = 72 g/mol) and 2-carboxyethyl acrylate oligomers (average Mw = 208.8 g/mol)
- Source chemical: Acrylic acid = monoconstituent substance composed of acrylic acid monomers (Mw = 72 g/mol)

3. ANALOGUE APPROACH JUSTIFICATION
- Common structure: the constituents of the target and source chemicals share identical functional groups (i.e. one terminal carboxylic acid group and one terminal vinyl group) and only differ in the presence/absence of one or several -CH2-CH2-COO- pattern(s) in their structural backbones. This pattern being introduced as a result of (poly)addition reactions, it is only present in the polymerized units of acrylic acid (average number of -CH2-CH2-COO- patterns per vinyl group: < 3) and is absent from the monomer units.
- Common physico-chemical/fate properties: the target and source chemicals are both hydrophylic substances (log Pow < 1) with a high solubility in water and a low volatility (VP < 5 hPa). Both substances have a low potential for bioaccumulation in living organisms (log Pow < 4) and a low potential for persistence in environmental compartments (rapidly degradable).
- Common mode of action: the toxic effects of the target and source chemicals are expected to result from their acidic character (carboxylic acid group) and from the reactivity of their double bond (vinyl group). As the polyaddition reactions lead only to an increase in the chain length/molecular weight without an increase in the number of reactive functional groups, the low molecular-weight polymerized units of acrylic acid (from the test item) are not expected to exert higher toxicity than the monomer units. As a result, the target chemical, although only partially composed of acrylic acid monomers, is considered at the very worst to be as toxic as the source substance.

Further information (including data matrix) is available in the attached read-across justification document.

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

read-across source

Key result

Sex:

male/female

Dose descriptor:

LD50

Effect level:

> 2 000 mg/kg bw

Based on:

act. ingr.

Interpretation of results:

GHS criteria not met

Conclusions:

When exposing rabbits by occlusive dermal application, the LD50 of the analogue acrylic acid was strictly above 2000 mg/kg. Based on the absence of mortality or signs of overt toxicity at this dose, the experimentally obtained acute dermal toxicity value is consistent with the absence of classification of the registered substance according to the UN-GHS criteria.

Endpoint conclusion

Endpoint conclusion:

no adverse effect observed

Justification for classification or non-classification

Based on the LD50/LC50 values obtained with the analogue acrylic acid, the registered substance is classified as Acute Tox. 4, H302 (oral route). The official classification of acrylic acid for acute inhalation and dermal toxicity (H312/H332) is considered not to be relevant to the registered substance.