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EC number: 203-377-1 | CAS number: 106-24-1
- 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
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Endpoint summary
Administrative data
Description of key information
- Irritation
Skin: irritant for rabbit skin (OECD 404)
Eye: irreversible effects on the rabbit eye (OECD 405)
Key value for chemical safety assessment
Skin irritation / corrosion
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- adverse effect observed (irritating)
Eye irritation
Endpoint conclusion
- Endpoint conclusion:
- adverse effect observed (irreversible damage)
Additional information
Skin Irritation
Animal Data
The irritation to skin by geraniol was analyzed in a study with three experiments performed according to OECD guideline 404 as stated in the ECETOC Technical Report No. 66 (Givaudan, 1995). In these experiments, 0.5 ml of geraniol was applied to three to four rabbits for 4 h and the application site was observed the following 7 days. Resulting erythema and edema were scored 24, 48 and 72 h later, as well as 7 days after application and scored according to Draize. The results were erythema scores of 2, 2.08 and 1.92 and edema scores of 1.67, 1.25 and 1 in the experiments 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Since the irritation effects were still apparent and desquamation was noted at the end of observation time, geraniol could be regarded as irritant to skin.
In another study performed according OECD guideline 404, intact skin of three New Zealand white rabbits as applied with two types of geraniol (Geraniol 5020 and Geraniol 980) under semiocclusive conditions for 4 h (BBA, 1987). As a result, the primary dermal irritation index (PDII) was found to be 3.8 for Geraniol 5020 and 2.2 for Geraniol 980.
A Draize-test was conducted with 12 angora rabbits, where 0.1 g of geraniol besides two other substances was applied to clipped skin under occlusive conditions for 24 h (Motoyoshi, 1979). The resulting effects was and PDII of 3 after 48 h. In the same study, six Hartley guinea pigs and six Pitman-Moore improved strain miniature swines were also tested and PDII of 3 was found in guinea pigs whereas in miniature swine no irritation was noted (Motoyoshi, 1979).
In addition to the described studies, several other publications and studies by companies showed that geraniol is irritant to skin (Sharp, 1978; Haynes, 1984, 1985, 1986; Klecak, 1977; Troy, 1977; Givaudan, 1977; Buehler, 1992; Givaudan, 1977; Quest International, 1980, 1989). Because of this pronounced irritant effects, geraniol was also used as a positive control in numerous skin irritation studies with other substances performed by Quest International.
Besides this, skin irritation was also tested in a direct topical application test and patch test on the SkinEthic Model reconstituted human epidermis (Tornier, 2006). Since in both test types low cell viability, necrosed histology and an increase of the amount of IL-1alpha was detected, geraniol was regarded as irritant to skin.
Human Data
When geraniol was tested with human volunteers, a concentration of 32% applied for 48 h induced severe skin irritation when evaluated 30 min after patch removal (Motoyoshi, 1979).
In another study, 0.2 ml was a applied progressively from 15 and 30 minutes through 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours to the upper arm of 25 volunteers (York, 1996). In two subjects severe irritation effects were observed after the 4 h exposure period.
Concentrations of 0.5%, 2% and 20% did no cause any irritation to the skin of 84, 30 and 29 subjects, respectively (Fujii, 1972).
In summary, geraniol could be regarded as irritant to skin as demonstrated in numerous animal studies. The grade of severity could be thereby linked to the concentration used as observed in the studies with human.
Eye Irritation
Irritation to eyes by geraniol was evaluated in a study performed according to OECD guideline 405 and EU method B.5 (Haarmann und Reimer, 2000). 0.1 ml of pure geraniol was administered into the right eye of four SPF albino rabbits and reactions were monitored for 21 days. Well defined signs of irritation were observed on the treated eyes, including cornea opacity, iris lesion, crimson red conjunctiva and swelling of the conjuctiva, while they were not reversible in two out of four animals after the observation period. Thus, geraniol could be regarded as eye damaging (irreversible effects on the eye).
In another study, a Draize-test was performed where 0.1 ml of geraniol was applied into the eyes of six rabbits (Troy, 1977). Irritant effects were noted during the observation period of seven days, so geraniol was regarded as irritant to eyes.
When geraniol at a concentration of 12.5%was instilled into the eye of three albino rabbits, no corneal opacity or iris congestion was observed, but an intense conjunctival irritation was observed involving chemosis and discharge (IFF, 1963). In the same study, only a mild conjunctival irritation was noted, when a concentration of 5% was used.
Thus, geraniol could be regarded as eye damaging due to results in studies including a study performed according to OECD guideline.
Effects on skin irritation/corrosion: irritating
Effects on eye irritation: irreversible effects
Justification for classification or non-classification
Due to results of studies for skin irritation and for eye irritation performed according to OECD guidelines, Geraniol has to be classified according to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 as irritant to skin Cat. 2 (H315) and as eye damaging Cat 1 (H318).
Information on Registered Substances comes from registration dossiers which have been assigned a registration number. The assignment of a registration number does however not guarantee that the information in the dossier is correct or that the dossier is compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (the REACH Regulation). This information has not been reviewed or verified by the Agency or any other authority. The content is subject to change without prior notice.
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