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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.

The new ECHA CHEM database has been released by ECHA, and it now contains all REACH registration data. There are more details on the transition of ECHA's published data to ECHA CHEM here.

Diss Factsheets

Administrative data

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

Methane CAS Number 74-82-8

In vitro data

The key study is considered to be a bacterial mutation assay (NTP, 1993), a recognised core assay type for investigating mutation in vitro.

Methane was tested in a standard Ames test but using gas chambers to allow appropriate examination of a gaseous material. Salmonella typhimurium (TA1535, TA97, TA98 and TA100) was treated with methane both with and without auxiliary metabolic activation (S9). A range of doses of methane was used, and the S9 was prepared from both rat and hamster livers and added at two levels.

Methane was not mutagenic in this test system.

In vivo data

No in vivo genotoxicity data are available for methane.

Human information

There is no information indicating any adverse effects of methane.

 

Summary

Methane has been examined for mutagenicity in vitro in the Ames test using a test system that is suitable for examining gaseous materials. It was tested both in the absence and presence of different levels of S9 fractions from both rat and hamster. It was non-mutagenic in the assay. This result is what would be expected from the simple chemical structure of methane. There are no functional groups in the molecule, and it would not be expected to undergo significant metabolism to any reactive species. It carries no alerts for possible genotoxic activity based on established Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) principles (Tennant RW and Ashby J (1991). Classification according to chemical structure, mutagenicity to Salmonella and level of carcinogenicity of a further 39 chemicals by the US National Toxicology Program.  Mutat Res 257 (3) 209-227). 

 

Ethane CAS Number 74-84-0

No data were identified. There are no functional groups in the ethane molecule, and it would not be expected to undergo significant metabolism to any reactive species. It carries no alerts for possible genotoxic activity based on established Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) principles (Tennant and Ashby, 1981). 

 

Propane CAS Number 74-98-6

In vitro data

The key study is considered to be a bacterial mutation assay (Kirwin et al, 1980), a recognised core assay type for investigating mutation in vitro.

Propane was tested in a standard Ames test but using gas chambers to allow appropriate examination of a gaseous material. Salmonella typhimurium (TA1535, TA1537, TA1538, TA98 and TA100) was treated with propane both with and without auxiliary metabolic activation from rat liver (S9). A range of doses of propane was used, up to 50% atmosphere. Propane was not mutagenic in this test system.

In vivo data

No in vivo genotoxicity data are available for propane.

Human information

There is no information indicating any adverse effects of propane.

 

Summary

Propane has been examined for mutagenicity in vitro in the Ames test using a test system that is suitable for examining gaseous materials. It was tested both in the absence and presence of different levels of S9 fractions from both rat and hamster. It was non-mutagenic in the assay. This result is what would be expected from the simple chemical structure of propane. There are no functional groups in the molecule, and it would not be expected to undergo significant metabolism to any reactive species. It carries no alerts for possible genotoxic activity based on established Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) principles (Tennant and Ashby, 1981). 

 

Isobutane CAS Number 75-28-5

In vitro data

The key study is considered to be a bacterial mutation assay (Kirwin et al, 1980), a recognised core assay type for investigating mutation in vitro.

Isobutane was tested in a standard Ames test but using gas chambers to allow appropriate examination of a gaseous material. Salmonella typhimurium (TA1535, TA1537, TA1538, TA98 and TA100) was treated with isobutane both with and without auxiliary metabolic activation from rat liver (S9). A range of doses of isobutane was used, up to 50% atmosphere. Isobutane was not mutagenic in this test system.

In vivo data

No in vivo genotoxicity data are available for isobutane.

Human information

There is no information indicating any adverse effects of isobutane.

 

Summary

Isobutane has been examined for mutagenicity in vitro in the Ames test using a test system that is suitable for examining gaseous materials. It was tested both in the absence and presence of different levels of S9 fractions from both rat and hamster. It was non-mutagenic in the assay. This result is what would be expected from the simple chemical structure of propane. There are no functional groups in the molecule, and it would not be expected to undergo significant metabolism to any reactive species. It carries no alerts for possible genotoxic activity based on established Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) principles (Tennant and Ashby, 1981). 

 

Butane CAS Number 106-97-8

In vitro data

The key studies are considered to be bacterial mutation assays (Kirwin et al 1980, NTP, 2005), and an in vitro cytogenetic assay (Safepharm, 2008). These are recognised core assay types for investigating mutation in vitro.

Butane was tested in a standard Ames test but using gas chambers to allow appropriate examination of a gaseous material (Kirwin et al 1980). Salmonella typhimurium (TA1535, TA1537, TA1538, TA98 and TA100) was treated with butane both with and without auxiliary metabolic activation from rat liver (S9). A range of doses of butane was used up to a dose of 50% atmosphere.  In a second Ames test, Salmonella typhimurium (TA1535, TA97, TA98 and TA100) was treated with butane both with and without auxiliary metabolic activation (S9). In this study, a range of doses of propane was again used, and the S9 was prepared from both rat and hamster livers and added at two levels. Butane was not mutagenic in either of these studies.

Butane was examined in an in vitro cytogenetic assay in human lymphocytes in both the absence and presence of auxiliary metabolic activation. It was tested using contained exposures to allow appropriate examination of a gaseous material. Butane was not mutagenic in this assay.

In vivo data

No in vivo genotoxicity data from mammalian systems are available for butane. Butane has been examined in the Sex Linked Recessive Lethal assay in drosophila, at a dose level of 35% atmosphere (NTP, 2005). The material was reported to give a negative response.

Human information

There is no information indicating any adverse effects of butane.

 

Summary

Butane has been examined for mutagenicity in vitro in the Ames test using a test system that is suitable for examining gaseous materials. It was tested both in the absence and presence of different levels of S9 fractions from both rat and hamster. It was non-mutagenic in the assay.   Furthermore, butane has been examined in an in vitro cytogenetic assay in human lymphocytes to current OECD guideline standards, again under exposure conditions appropriate for a gaseous material. It was negative in this assay. Butane has therefore been examined, and found to be negative, for both gene mutation and cytogenetic endpoints in vitro. This result is what would be expected from the simple chemical structure of butane. There are no functional groups in the molecule, and it would not be expected to undergo significant metabolism to any reactive species. It carries no alerts for possible genotoxic activity based on established Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) principles (Tennant and Ashby, 1981).

 

Propene CAS No 115-07-1

In vitro

Propene has been found to be without significant genotoxic activity across endpoints including bacterial gene mutation (Inveresk, 2003), mammalian cell gene mutation and mammalian cell cytogenetics (McGregor et al., 1991). 

In vivo

A bone marrow micronucleus assay exposed rats to doses of propene up to 10000ppm for 6h/day and 5 days/week for a total of 20 exposures, and gave a negative result (Pottenger et al., 2007). An examination of HPRT mutation in rats exposed to the same regime, using splenic T-lymphocytes similarly gave a negative result (Walker et al., 2004). These studies support the negative outcome of chronic (2-year) inhalational exposure of rats and mice to concentrations up to 10000ppm (half the lower explosion limit) of propene. Taken together these studies underpin the conclusion that propene is not a genotoxic carcinogen.

 

Petroleum gases, liquefied (main components propane and propene)

In vitro/vivo data

HLS (2009) assessed the potential inhalation toxicity of liquified petroleum gas when administered via whole-body exposures to rats for 13 weeks. The assessment included evaluations of genotoxicity parameters.

Rats were exposed for six hours per day to 0 (air control), 1000, 5000 or 10000 ppm of LPG for 5 days per week for 13 consecutive weeks (highest exposure concentration was selected for safety reasons and approximated 50% of the lower explosive limit). At the end of the treatment period, all animals were euthanized and necropsied and the incidences of micronucleated immature erythrocytes were calculated in 5 males & females per dose concentration. After 13 weeks of exposure, there were no treatment-related differences in micronucleus incidence at concentrations up to 10000 ppm, compared to the air control animals. The no observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC) was 10000 ppm.

 

Summary for the category

In summary, simple short chain alkanes (i.e methane, ethane, propane, butane, isobutane) can be considered in a similar manner, and data are available for methane, propane, butane and isobutane in the Ames test, testing under exposure conditions appropriate for gaseous materials, that similarly show them to be non-mutagenic. Furthermore, butane (the C4 analogue alkane) has been examined in an in vitro cytogenetic assay in human lymphocytes to current OECD guideline standards, again under exposure conditions appropriate for a gaseous material. It was negative in this assay. The data are further supported by in vivo data on liquefied petroleum gas. After 13 weeks of exposure of rats, there were no treatment-related differences in micronucleus incidence at concentrations up to 10000 ppm, compared to the air control animals.

The available data for the short-chain alkanes indicates no genotoxic activity across endpoints of bacterial gene mutation, in vitro clastogenicity and in vivo. A consideration of the data available for the alkene propene similarly supports a conclusion of no genotoxic activity, including data from in vivo cytogenetic and in vivo gene mutation endpoints. These data support the conclusion that Petroleum Gases are unlikely to express any significant genotoxic activity in vitro or in vivo. However, specific components which have been identified as present in some streams and shown to be mutagenic in vivo are: benzene and 1,3-butadiene:

Benzene

(Classification: EU –Toxic T Mutagen Cat 2 R46; GHS/CLP - Category 1B, H340)

Benzene has been extensively examined for mutagenicity both in vitro and in vivo in a range of recognised core assay types. It has shown mixed results for mutagenicity in vitro although in mammalian cells there is overall evidence for potential mutagenic activity (EU RAR 2008). Benzene has been shown to be mutagenic in vivo in both somatic cells and germ cells (Ciranni et al, 1991).

Benzene could be present in the Other Petroleum Gases category at levels up to 0.3%.

1,3-Butadiene

(Classification: EU –Toxic T Mutagen Cat 2 R46; GHS/CLP - Category 1B, H340)

In vitro, positive results were obtained in bacterial mutation assays (Araki et al 1994, and a mammalian cell cytogenetic assay (Asakura et al 2008). In vivo, somatic cell cytogenetic and gene mutation studies in the mouse and dominant lethal studies in the mouse were positive (Adler et al 1994). Similar studies in the rat were negative.There are many studies on human in occupational settings. The available data on several groups of 1,3-butadiene-exposed workers, both in 1,3-butadiene monomer production and in the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene, did not show any association between 1,3-butadiene exposure and increased gene mutations, primarily HPRT mutations (Albertini et al, 2001, 2003 & 2007, Wickliffe et al 2009). One group of investigators have shown a relationship in workers exposed to 1,3-butadiene but a different method was used by these investigators to measure the HPRT mutation than in the other studies, and there are questions on whether co-exposures were adequately accounted for. Nevertheless, a recent study from these investigators has shown that reduced exposures to all potential genotoxic agents in these facilities have resulted in negative findings (Wickliffe et al, 2009). No 1,3-butadiene-related chromosome aberrations have been demonstrated in humans (Albertini et al 2001, 2003, 2007).

 


Short description of key information:
Whilst no data exist for most of the streams in the Other Petroleum Gases category, mutagenicity data exist for the main components of the streams. A review of an extensive database indicates that Other Petroleum Gases and their main components are not genotoxic. However, benzene and 1,3-butadiene may present in some streams and have been shown to be mutagenic.

Endpoint Conclusion:

Justification for classification or non-classification

There is no evidence that the main components of the Other Petroleum Gases category are genotoxic therefore no classification is warranted under DPD (Dir 1999/45/EC) or GHS/CLP.

Category streams containing <0.1% benzene, <0.1% 1,3-butadiene are considered unlikely to be mutagenic and no labelling will be required under DPD (Dir 1999/45/EC) or GHS/CLP.

It is proposed that category streams containing ≥0.1% benzene or ≥0.1% 1,3-butadiene are classified as Mutagenic Cat 2, R46 under DPD (Dir 1999/45/EC) and Cat 1B, H340 under GHS/CLP.

Some streamsare already classified as Muta 1B:H340 under GHS/CLP (see Section 3).