Review Date: 06/01/2012 potassium bicarbonate CAS #: 298-14-6
Type Fungicide
Controls Controls fungal diseases like powdery mildew and blight.
Mode of Action Works as a plant protectant and the bicarbonate destroys cell walls and adversely effects fungal reproduction (Reference 1)
Thurston County Review Summary: Potassium bicarbonate is rated low in hazard and fungicide products containing it as the sole active ingredient pass Thurston County's pesticide review criteria. MOBILITY Property Value Reference Value Rating
Water Solubility (mg/L) 332,000 1 High
Soil Sorption (Kd=mL/g) Value not found
Organic Sorption (Koc=mL/g) 1 2 High
Mobility Summary: Potassium bicarbonate is very soluble in water and is expected to bind poorly with soil. The hazard for potassium bicarbonate to leach into the soil or move off the site of application with rain or irrigation water is rated high. PERSISTENCE Property Value Reference Value Rating Vapor Pressure (mm Hg) 0.0000000037 2 High
Biotic or Aerobic Half-life (days) 30 2 Moderate
Abiotic Half-life (days) Stable 12 High
Terrestrial Field Test Half-life (days) Value not found
Hydrolysis Half-life (days) Stable 12 High
Anaerobic Half-life (days) Value not found
Aquatic Field Test Half-life (days) 15 2 Moderate
Persistence Summary: Potassium bicarbonate is stable to phototransformation and hydrolysis and is not likely to dissipate into the air. When introduced into the environment, it is expected to dissociate into the potassium and bicarbonate ions. Potassium bicarbonate is likely to take more than one week but less than two months to degrade to half of the applied concentration and is rated moderate in persistence. BIOACCUMULATION Property Value Reference Value Rating
Bioaccumulation Factor 0.9 2 Low
Bioconcentration Factor 0.9 2 Low
Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient log Kow = -0.46 2 Low
Bioaccumulation Summary: Potassium bicarbonate is not expected to bind well to fish or animal tissue and is rated low in hazard for the potential to bioaccumulate.
Thurston County Health Department - 412 Lilly Road NE, Olympia WA 98506 - (www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehipm) Ph: 360-867-2664 T.D.D. 360-754-2933 ACUTE WILDLIFE TOXICITY VALUES and Risk Assessment Test Subject Value Reference Value Rating
Mammalian (LD50) 2,825 mg/kg 3 Low
Avian (LD50) Value not found
Honey bee or insect (LD50) >24 ug/bee 1 Low
Annelida -worms (LC50) Value not found
Fish (LC50) 1,400 mg/L 1 Low
Crustacean (LC50) 1,200 mg/L 1 Low
Mollusk (LC50) Value not found
Amphibian (LD50 or LC50) Value not found
Acute Toxicity Testing and Ecotoxicity Summary: Potassium and bicarbonate are essential chemicals involved in the processes within all living cells and are found naturally in soil, groundwater, streams, lakes, and oceans. The use of potassium bicarbonate as a fungicide is not expected to cause adverse effects to non-target organisms (although Health Canada is requiring monitoring of beneficial insects within greenhouses to ensure that they are not affected - Reference 12). Risk to non-target organisms from the fungicidal use of potassium bicarbonate is rated low in hazard.
ACUTE HUMAN TOXICITY - Risk Assessment Subject and Scenario Route Dose of Exposure Margin Reference Value Concern of Safety Rating Risk from short-term exposures is low in hazard
Risk from short-term exposures is low in hazard
Risk from short-term exposures is low in hazard Risk from short-term exposures is low in hazard
Acute Toxicity Risk Assessment Summary: "No adverse health effects are expected when potassium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate are used as pesticides. The compounds are ubiquitous in nature; considered to be "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration; naturally present in human food; widely distributed in commerce; available to the general public for non-pesticidal uses; and required for normal function in human, animal, plant and environmental systems. Potassium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate are not associated with adverse effects to humans." (Reference 4).
No adverse effects were observed in single-dose toxicity testing with potassium bicarbonate (Reference 12). Health Canada stated that there were no concerns over short-term post-application exposures to potassium bicarbonate (from fungicidal use) through oral ingestion, dermal contact or inhalation (Reference 12).
Thurston County Health Department - 412 Lilly Road NE, Olympia WA 98506 - (www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehipm) Ph: 360-867-2664 T.D.D. 360-754-2933 CHRONIC HUMAN TOXICITY HAZARDS Property Value Adverse Effect Reference Rating
Carcinogenicity Not listed as a known or suspected - - 6 and 7 Low carcinogen Mutagenicity Value not found - - 12 Low
Neurotoxicity - (NOAEL) Value not found - - 12 Low
Endocrine Disruption Not a known or suspected disruptor - - 9 and 10 Low
Developmental Toxicity (NOAEL) Value not found - - 12 Low
Reproductive Toxicity (NOAEL) Value not found - - 12 Low
Chronic Toxicity (NOAEL) Value not found
Chronic Toxicity Hazard Summary: Potassium bicarbonate is not listed as a known or suspected carcinogen by the USEPA or the International Agency on Research on Cancer (IARC). Health Canada made the following statement about potassium bicarbonate "An evaluation of available literature indicates that potassium bicarbonate is not a developmental, reproductive or nervous system toxicant, a carcinogen or a genotoxicant." (Reference12). CHRONIC HUMAN TOXICITY - Risk Assessment Subject and Scenario Route Dose of Exposure Margin of Reference Value Concern Safety Rating Risk from long-term exposures is low in hazard Risk from long-term exposures is low in hazard Risk from long-term exposures is low in hazard Risk from long-term exposures is low in hazard Chronic Toxicity Risk Assessment Summary: When evaluating the toxicity potential of potassium bicarbonate, the Food and Drug Administration concluded that: "There is no evidence in the available information on calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or sodium sesquicarbonate that demonstrates or suggests reasonable grounds to suspect a hazard to the public when used at levels that are now current or that might reasonably be expected in the future." (Reference 5).
Metabolites and Degradation Products: Potassium bicarbonate is a salt that dissociates in the environment into potassium and bicarbonate ions (Reference 12). Comments: Potassium bicarbonate is a slight eye and skin irritant but is not considered a skin sensitizer (Reference 3).
References 1. International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry. Pesticide Properties Database. potassium bicarbonate. Accessed 6/1/2012. 2. Penta Manufacturing Company. Potassium bicarbonate. Accessed 6/4/2012. http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/episys/ep1099511.html 3. USEPA. Office of Pesticide Progreams. Potassium Bicarbonate - Tolerance Exemptions 12/96. [FR Doc. 96-32527 Filed 12-20-96; 8:45 am]. 4. USEPA. Potassium bicarbonate (073508) and Sodium bicarbonate (073505) Fact Sheet. Issued 11/99. 5. US Department of Food and Health Services, Food and Drug Administration. Database of Select Committee on GRAS Substances (SCOGS) Reviews. Potassium bicarbonate. 1975. 6. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1-102. (Accessed 6/6/2012). http://monographs.iarc.fr 7. USEPA. Science Information Management Branch, Health Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs. "Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential" July 19, 2004. 8. Frassetto et al. 82 (1): 254. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. "Potassium Bicarbonate Reduces Urinary Nitrogen Excretion in Postmenopausal Women." January 1997. 9. Scorecard - The Pollution Information Site. Health Effects / Endocrine Toxicants (Accessed 5/21/2012). http://scorecard.goodguide.com/health-effects. 10. Illinois EPA. "Endocrine Disruptors Strategy". February, 1997. 12. Health Canada. Pest Management Regulatory Agency. Note REG2006-03. Potassium Bicarbonate. 10 May 2006.
Thurston County Health Department - 412 Lilly Road NE, Olympia WA 98506 - (www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehipm) Ph: 360-867-2664 T.D.D. 360-754-2933