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EC number: 208-863-7 | CAS number: 544-17-2
- 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
A correlation between developmental toxicity (spontaneous abortion, neural tube defects) and low folate levels is seen in humans. Formate could further decrease folate levels, but the increment attributable to formates is considered to be low. Experimental animals have generally higher folate levels. They cope therefore better with formate, and developmental toxicity is not seen in experimental studies.
Additional information
Epidemiological studies from Germany, Sweden, and the US suggest a correlation between low folate levels in humans and in food, and increased incidences of spontaneous abortion and neural tube defects (spina bifida). The incidences decreased by 25-30% in the US after implementation of a folate supplementation program (George, 2002; Erickson, 2002; BfR, 2005.
No effect was seen with sodium formate in reproduction studies using rats and rabbits exposed to formate. In humans, the folate levels are apparently insufficient in the early stages of pregnancy. Exposure to formate would further lower formate levels and, therefore, increase the risk for developmental toxicity. The risk that is attributable to formate is considered to be low. The correlation appears to be plausible, but the available information is considered to be insufficient for classification. Minimisation of the formate exposure of the general population is, however, reasonable, and this may have been the driving force when formic acid and formate salts were removed from the European list of authorized food preservatives, since suitable alternative preservatives are available.
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