EU RISK ASSESSMENT – FURFURAL FINAL SUMMARY, FEBRUARY 2008 2-FURALDEHYDE (Furfural) CAS No: 98-01-1 EINECS No: 202-627-7 SUMMARY RISK ASSESSMENT REPORT Final report, February 2008 The Netherlands FINAL APPROVED VERSION Rapporteur for the risk assessment of furfural is the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW), in consultation with the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). Responsible for the risk evaluation and subsequently for the contents of this report is the rapporteur. The scientific work on this report has been prepared by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and the National Institute of Public Health and Environment (RIVM), by order of the rapporteur. Contact point: Chemical Substances Bureau P.O. Box 1 3720 BA Bilthoven The Netherlands EU RISK ASSESSMENT – FURFURAL Date of Last Literature Search: March, 2006 Review of report by MS Technical Experts finalised: June, 2006 Final report: February 2008 © European Communities, [ECB: year of publication] EU RISK ASSESSMENT – FURFURAL PREFACE This report provides a summary, with conclusions, of the risk assessment report of the substance 2-furaldehyde that has been prepared by The Netherlands in the context of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 793/93 on the evaluation and control of existing substances. For detailed information on the risk assessment principles and procedures followed, the underlying data and the literature references the reader is referred to the comprehensive Final Risk Assessment Report (Final RAR) that can be obtained from the European Chemicals Bureau1. The Final RAR should be used for citation purposes rather than this present Summary Report. 1 European Chemicals Bureau – Existing Chemicals – http://ecb.jrc.it III EU RISK ASSESSMENT – FURFURAL CONTENTS 1 GENERAL SUBSTANCE INFORMATION ......................................................................................................... 3 1.1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBSTANCE.................................................................................................. 3 1.2 PURITY/IMPURITIES, ADDITIVES ........................................................................................................... 3 1.3 PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES ...................................................................................................... 3 1.4 CLASSIFICATION AND LABELLING ACCORDING TO ANNEX I ....................................................... 4 2 GENERAL INFORMATION ON EXPOSURE ..................................................................................................... 6 2.1 PRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 USES 6 3 ENVIRONMENT.................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.1 EXPOSURE.................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.1.1 General discussion............................................................................................................................... 8 3.1.2 Environmental releases........................................................................................................................ 9 3.1.3 Local exposure assessment .................................................................................................................. 9 3.1.4 Regional exposure assessment........................................................................................................... 11 3.2 EFFECTS...................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.1 Aquatic compartment......................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.1.1 Effects on microorganisms .................................................................................................. 12 3.2.1.2 Effects assessment for the sediment .................................................................................... 12 3.2.2 Atmosphere........................................................................................................................................ 12 3.2.3 Terrestrial environment ..................................................................................................................... 13 3.2.4 Non-compartment-specific effects relevant to the food chain ........................................................... 13 3.3 RISK CHARACTERIZATION .................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.1 Aquatic compartment (including sediment)....................................................................................... 13 3.3.2 Atmosphere........................................................................................................................................ 14 3.3.3 Terrestrial compartment..................................................................................................................... 14 3.3.4 Non-compartment-specific effects relevant to the food chain ........................................................... 14 3.4 PBT ASSESSMENT..................................................................................................................................... 16 4 HUMAN HEALTH............................................................................................................................................... 17 4.1 EXPOSURE.................................................................................................................................................. 17 4.1.1 Occupational exposure....................................................................................................................... 17 4.1.2 Consumer exposure ........................................................................................................................... 20 4.1.3 Man exposed indirectly via the environment..................................................................................... 20 4.1.4 Combined exposure ........................................................................................................................... 21 4.2 EFFECTS ASSESSEMENT......................................................................................................................... 21 4.3 RISK CHARACTERISATION .................................................................................................................... 24 4.3.1 Workplace.......................................................................................................................................... 24 1 4.3.2 Consumers ......................................................................................................................................... 31 4.3.3 Man indirectly exposed via the environment..................................................................................... 32 4.3.4 Combined exposure ........................................................................................................................... 34 4.4 HUMAN HEALTH (PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES)................................................................. 35 5 OVERALL RESULTS OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT....................................................................................... 36 5.1 ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 36 5.2 HUMAN HEALTH ...................................................................................................................................... 36 5.2.1 Human health (toxicity)..................................................................................................................... 36 Workers Error! 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Consumers ......................................................................................................................................... 37 Humans exposed via the environment ............................................................................................... 37 Combined exposure ........................................................................................................................... 37 5.2.2 Human health (risks from physical-chemical properties) .................................................................. 37 6 GLOSSARY.......................................................................................................................................................... 38 EU RISK ASSESSMENT – FURFURAL 1 GENERAL SUBSTANCE INFORMATION 1.1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBSTANCE CAS Number: 98-01-1 EINECS Number: 202-627-7 IUPAC Name: furfural Molecular formula: C5H4O2 Structural formula: Molecular weight: 96.08 Synonyms: 2-formylfuran, fural, furan-2-aldehyd, furfuraldehyd, furfurol, 2-furaldehyde, artificial ant oil, furale, 2-furancarboxaldehyde, furaldehyde, 2-furyl-methanal, 2-furfural, furfurole, pyromucic aldehyde, furale, 2-furanaldehyde, 2-furancarbonal, "-furole, furole, furfurane carboxylic aldehyde, 2-furylaldehyde, artificial oil of ants, furan-2-carbaldehyde, 2-formylfuran 1.2 PURITY/IMPURITIES, ADDITIVES