ChemForward Alternatives

TRIETHYL CITRATE

CASRN#

77-93-0

INCI Name

TRIETHYL CITRATE

Alternate Names

1,2,3-triethyl 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate

Common Trade Names

Citroflex 2, TEC

Molecular Weight

276.28 g/mol

Functional Uses

Food additive (E1505), Cosmetic/fragrance ingredient, Solvent, Plasticiser

Common Impurities

None

Is this a VOC?

Yes

Is this an exempt VOC?

Vapor Pressure

0.00189 mm Hg

Octanol-water partition coefficient (log Kow)

1.17

Solubility at 2E+1 C

4779644 mg/l

Boiling Point

286.8 °C

Particle size range as aerodynamic diameter

- - - μm

Hazard Summary

C2C Chemical Rating

grey/c

GHS Health

H336

GHS Enviro

None

Assessed by

CEA

Assessment Date

Aug 10, 2020

Assessment Expires

Aug 9, 2025

Verification Status

verified

Executive Summary

Triethyl citrate is an organic, colourless liquid (at 20°C and 1013 hPa) with a characteristic fruity odour. It is used as a food additive (E1505), cosmetic/fragrance ingredient, solvent and a plasticiser. No human health hazards were identified for oral carcinogenicity, oral toxicity, dermal toxicity, sensitisation of the skin and airways or skin corrosion/irritation. Data gaps exist for dermal carcinogenicity, inhalation carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, oral, dermal and inhalation reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, inhalation toxicity and oral, dermal and inhalation neurotoxicity and eye corrosion/irritation. No environmental hazards were identified for algae, acute aquatic crustacea, acute aquatic vertebrate, persistence and biodegradation or bioaccumulation. Data gaps exist for chronic aquatic crustacea, chronic aquatic vertebrate and terrestrial toxicity. Triethyl citrate is not listed as a greenhouse gas or ozone depleting substance. It does not contain organohalogens or toxic metals and is not classified by any of the authoritative agencies.

Hazard Tables

How to read the GHS Hazard Summary Table

	Carcinogenicity	Mutagenicity	Reproductive Toxicity	Developmental Toxicity	Acute Toxicity	STOT-Single	STOT-Repeated	STOT- Neurotoxicity-Single	STOT- Neurotoxicity-Repeated	Skin Sensitizer	Respiratory Sensitizer	Skin Corrosion/Irritation	Serious Eye Damage/Eye Irritation	Acute Aquatic Toxicity	Chronic Aquatic Toxicity	Ozone Depletion
Oral Dermal Inhalation	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified for carcinogenicity under GHS criteria (UN 2019) based on a chronic oral study in rats in which no tumours were observed. Confidence is low as there is only one study available. CNP Rationale No data are available. CNP Rationale No data are available.	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified under GHS criteria (UN 2019) based on negative results in an Ames test and no alerts for mutagenicity in OECD Toolbox or ToxTree. Confidence is low as there are limited experimental data.	CNP Rationale Classification is not possible as no reproductive studies were identified for triethyl citrate. No developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) alerts were identified in the OECD Toolbox. CNP Rationale No data are available. CNP Rationale No data are available.	CNP Rationale Classification is not possible as no developmental studies were identified for triethyl citrate. No developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) alerts were identified in the OECD Toolbox. CNP Rationale No data are available. CNP Rationale No data are available.	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified under GHS criteria (UN 2019) as the oral LD50s are greater than 2000 mg/kg. Confidence level is high as the classification is based on reliable experimental data. NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified GHS criteria (UN 2019) as the dermal LD50s are greater than 2000 mg/kg. Confidence level is low as although the classification is based on experimental data, one of the studies has a Klimisch score of 4 as few details about the studies are available. NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified GHS criteria (UN 2019) as the inhalation LD50s are greater than those needed for classification. Confidence level is low as although the classification is based on experimental data, some of the studies have a Klimisch score of 4 as few details about the studies are available.	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified as there is no evidence of systemic toxicity in two acute toxicity studies. The confidence level is low as although the classification is based on reliable experimental data, it is unclear whether effects seen are toxicological effects or as a result of the dosing procedure, and little information is available regarding the doses at which effects occur CNP Rationale No data are available. CNP Rationale No data are available	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified under GHS criteria (UN 2019) as no systemic toxicity was observed following repeated exposure. Confidence level is low as although the classification is based on experimental data, few details about the studies are available. CNP Rationale No data are available. CNP Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified under GHS criteria (UN 2019) as no systemic toxicity was observed following repeated exposure. Confidence level is low as although the classification is based on experimental data, few details about the studies are available.	Cat 3 Rationale Triethyl citrate is classified as GHS Category 3 based on transient narcotic effects seen two acute oral toxicity studies in rats. Confidence is low as although it is based on good quality measured data it is unclear if the effects seen are neurological or are indicative of discomfort. CNP Rationale No data are available CNP Rationale No data are available	CNP Rationale Classification is not possible as although no evidence of neurobehavioral effects were reported in repeat dose oral toxicity studies, no neurotoxicity endpoints were specifically measured and few details about the studies are available. CNP Rationale No data are available CNP Rationale No data are available	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified under GHS criteria (UN 2019). Whilst it was positive in one guinea pig maximization test, with all animals showing sensitization after two challenges, it was negative in a number of human repeat insult patch tests (HRIPT). QSAR modelling also showed no structural alerts for sensitization. While none of the HRIPT studies were conducted using the recommended minimum panel number of 100, the overall weight of evidence available, together with history of safe use of triethyl citrate as a cosmetic ingredient and it being generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the FDA, would indicate that it does not present a significant skin sensitisation hazard in humans. Confidence is low based on conflicting data, and inadequate human test data and limited information about the animal studies.	CNP Rationale Classification is not possible as no studies on respiratory sensitization were identified for triethyl citrate. No structural alerts for respiratory sensitization were identified in the OECD Toolbox.	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not classified under GHS criteria (UN 2019) as no irritation reactions were observed in two animal studies. Confidence level is low as although the classification is based on experimental data, few details about the studies are available.	CNP Rationale Classification is not possible as although there is some evidence of eye irritation effects in an experimental study, few details about the studies are available.	NC Rationale The ErC50 and EyC50 values for algae are >100 mg/L, which is above the GHS category 3 cut-off of 100 mg/L. Confidence is high as this is based on a guideline study (OECD 201, EU Method C.3) with a Klimisch score of 1. Also, no toxic effects against algae were observed at the limit of water solubility under the exposure conditions in this study. Model predictions are available which predict GHS Category 1 or 3 but the experimental study available is given higher weight in this evaluation.	NC Rationale The NOEC values for algae are >100 mg/L, indicating low chronic toxicity. Confidence is high as this is based on a guideline study with a Klimisch score of 1. Predicted chronic toxicity values are also available. The substance can be considered to be rapidly degraded in the aquatic environment and the bioaccumulation potential is low, therefore risk of chronic exposure is low. High confidence in the available information based on reliable experimental endpoint; no classification required for chronic algae.	NC Rationale Triethyl citrate is not listed as a known greenhouse gas in IPCC Third Assessment Report, an EPA ozone depleting substance substitute with global warming potential, and/or in Annexes to the Montreal Protocol.

Other

Explosives: Not classified
Flammable Gases: Not classified
Aerosols: Not classified
Oxidizing Gases: Not classified
Flammable Liquids: Not classified
Flammable Solids: Not classified
Self-reactive substances and mixtures: Not classified
Pyrophoric Liquids: Not classified
Pyrophoric Solids: Not classified
Self-heating Substances and Mixtures: Not classified
Substances and Mixtures which in contact with water, emit flammable gases: Not classified
Oxidizing Liquids: Not classified
Oxidizing Solids: Not classified
Organic Peroxides: Not classified
Corrosive to Metals: Not classified
Desensitized Explosives: Not classified

How to read the C2CC Hazard Summary Table

Human Health											Environmental							Other
	Carcinogenicity	Mutagenicity	Reproductive & Developmental Toxicity	Endocrine Activity / Disruption	Oral Toxicity	Dermal Toxicity	Inhalation Toxicity	Neurotoxicity	Skin, Eye, and Respiratory Corrosion/Irritation	Sensitization of Skin and Airways	Fish Toxicity	Daphnia Toxicity	Algae Toxicity	Terrestrial Toxicity	Persistence	Bioaccumulation	Climatic Relevance	Other (Human Health)	Organohalogens	Toxic Metals	Other (Environmental Health)
Oral Dermal Inhalation	G - -	Y	- - -	- Rationale Classification is not possible as no experimental data were found. No alerts for oestrogen or androgen receptor effects were found in OECD toolbox or Comptox.	G	G	G	- - -	G	Y	G	G	G	G	G Rationale Standard guideline readily biodegradable studies are available, from which it is concluded that the substance is readily biodegradable in water and soil. Phototransformation in air has been modelled and concluded that the substance will be rapidly degraded in air. The half-lives and environmental distributions have been modelled. The confidence level is considered high as guideline studies are available for the ready biodegradable endpoints and the model predictions for half-lives and environmental distributions are considered reasonable.	G Rationale A Log Kow value of 1.17 was obtained from a non-GLP standard guideline study (Unnamed 2011 in ECHA 2020; reliability score=1). A predicted BCF value of 3.162 L/kg wet-wt is available (Unnamed 2000 in ECHA 2020; reliability score = 2). Low confidence in bioaccumulation classification as lack of experimental data and thus based on modelled BCF.	Y	G Rationale No physical hazard classifications according to GHS	G	G	G Rationale No other data identified.

The Cradle to Cradle Material Health Assessment Methodology assigns hazard ratings to 24 individual human and environmental health endpoints. The system is largely based on GHS with the addition of endpoints including but not limited to Persistence, Bioaccumulation Potential and Endocrine Activity/Disruption. The possible C2C Chemical Ratings that can result from ChemForward’s simplified C2C chemical rating logic are:

C2C Chemical Rating	Color	Short Definition	Rules Summary
a	green	preferred in all applications	Chemical has no YELLOW or RED hazards or Cancer data gaps.
b	green	preferred in all applications	Chemical has no YELLOW hazards but lacks long-term cancer studies.
c/b	yellow/ green	acceptable in all applications	Chemical has one or more YELLOW risk flags before considering application. Applications where exposure is possible would result in a ‘c’ rating. Applications where exposure is unlikely or expected to be negligible would result in a ‘b’ rating.
grey/c	grey/ yellow	insufficient information available	Chemical has one or more GREY risk flags before considering application. Applications where exposure is possible would result in a ‘grey’ rating. Applications where exposure is unlikely or expected to be negligible would result in a ‘c’ rating.
x/c	red/ yellow	may be acceptable or problematic depending on application	Chemical has one or more RED risk flags before considering application. Applications where exposure is possible would result in a ‘x’ rating. Applications where exposure is unlikely or expected to be negligible would result in a ‘c’ rating.
N/A	red	problematic in all applications	Chemical is on a regulatory concern list, is climatically active, and/or is an organohalogen.
x-PBT	red	problematic in all applications	Chemical has a RED hazard for Persistence, Bioaccumulation, and another endpoint.
N/A	red	problematic in all applications	Chemical is a toxic metal, all of which have a RED hazard for Cancer, Mutagenicity, or Reproductive toxicity.
N/A	red	problematic in all applications	Chemical is on a regulatory concern list and has a RED hazard for Cancer, Mutagenicity, or Reproductive toxicity.
N/A	purple	banned in all applications	Chemical is on the C2C Certified banned list.

TRIETHYL CITRATE

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C2C Chemical Ratings

GHS

Verification Status

How to read the GHS Hazard Summary Table

How to read the C2CC Hazard Summary Table