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EC number: 203-571-6 | CAS number: 108-31-6
- 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
- 96-hour LC50 in fish = 75 mg/L
- 48-hour EC50 in daphnids = 37.9 mg/L
- 72-hour ErC50 in freshwater algae = 65.8 mg/L
Aquatic toxicity testing indicates a low level of toxicity for maleic anhydride. Acute values obtained with non-neutralized test solutions were:
Additional information
Studies on the acute aquatic toxicity of maleic anhydride are available for all three trophic levels. Since maleic anhydride rapidly hydrolyses in contact with water (half-life = 0.3 min), the breakdown product maleic acid was also considered in the assessment.
Two key studies, with representative freshwater fish (rainbow trout and bluegill sunfish), showed similar results:
LC50 (fish, 96 h) = 75 mg/L (test substance: maleic anhydride; non-neutralized test solution).
The pH values decreased with increasing test compound concentrations; the observed toxicity is mostly related to acidity.
The test organism most sensitive to maleic acid was Daphnia magna with an EC50 (48 h) of 42.8 mg/L (non-neutralized solution, toxicity partly attributable to pH effect), corresponding to 37.9 mg maleic anhydride/L.
Also a long-term test result (21 days) with maleic anhydride is available for Daphnia magna:
NOEC (Daphnia magna, 21 d) = 10 mg/L (reproduction rate),
EC50 (Daphnia magna, 21 d) = 77 mg/L (reproduction rate).
Due to very limited reporting, the study is considered not reliable hence is not used in the chemical safety assessment of maleic anhydride.
The 72-h ErC50 for growth inhibition in the alga Pseudokirchnerella subcapitata was determined at 74.35 mg maleic acid/L. This ErC50 corresponds to 65.78 mg maleic anhydride/L.
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