Registration Dossier

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Please be aware that this old REACH registration data factsheet is no longer maintained; it remains frozen as of 19th May 2023.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

Description of key information

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Skin sensitisation

Endpoint conclusion
Endpoint conclusion:
no adverse effect observed (not sensitising)
Additional information:

An intracutaneous skin sensitisation test was performed with guinea pigs (Landsteiner and Jacobs method), by using 0.1 ml of 0.1% KOH induction injections and a 0.1 ml challenge injection. No allergic skin reactions were observed after 24, 48 and 72 hours following the challenge dose (Johnson, 1975).

Potassium hydroxide has been used extensively for many decades by the industry and by consumers. However, skin sensitisation has never been described secondary to skin irritation or burns. Both the potassium and the hydroxide are ions, which are naturally, present in the body and for this reason it is very unlikely that they could cause skin sensitisation (OECD SIDS KOH).

Migrated from Short description of key information:

Based on the data available and on the above, it may be concluded that potassium hydroxide is not an allergen in humans (OECD SIDS KOH).

Justification for classification or non-classification

Existing animal data and lack of human cases support no classification for sensitization.