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Sodium hypochlorite - Identification, toxicity, use, water pollution potential, ecological toxicity and regulatory information

Note: See Working with the Information on this Page section below for important notes about this data.

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Chemical ID
 Identifying information, including synonyms, ID numbers, use type, chemical classification, a link to a list of all products containing this chemical and a list of the top crops this pesticide is used on in California.
Poisoning Symptoms
 Signs and symptoms of poisoning, first aid, and links to treatment information for this chemical.
Toxicity
 Link to information on toxicity to humans, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity.
Regulatory
 Links to world-wide registration status as well as regulatory information for the U.S. and California.
Water
 Water quality standards and physical properties affecting water contamination potential.
Ecotoxicity
 Toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Related Chems
 List of chemicals in the same family, including breakdown products, salts, esters, isomers, and other derivatives.
 

Chemical Identification and Use for Sodium hypochlorite
Basic Identification Information About This Chemical
Chemical Name: Sodium hypochlorite
CAS Number: 7681-52-9
U.S. EPA PC Code: 014703
CA DPR Chem Code: 539
Molecular Weight: 74.44
Molecular Structure:
Use Type: Microbiocide , Nematicide , Water Treatment
Chem Class: Inorganic
View Related Chemicals
 
Additional Resources About This Chemical Class and Use Type

See the Global Pesticide Resources page for many additional links.
Historical Use of this Chemical
Top five crops and sites for this pesticide in California
Carrots   Oranges   Lemons   Aquatic Industrial Uses   Citrus  
View All Crops and Sites
 
Other Names for this Chemical
About Chemical Synonyms
00539 (CA DPR Chem Code Text) , 00539 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 014703 (US EPA PC Code Text) , 14703 (US EPA PC Code) , 539 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 539 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 7681-52-9 (CAS number) , 7681529 , 7681529 (CAS number without hyphens) , Antiformin , B-K liquid , Bleach , Carrel-Dakin solution , Chloros , Chlorox , Dakin's Solution , Hychlorite , hypochlorite de sodium , Hypochlorous acid, sodium salt , Javelle water , Mera Industries 2MOM3B , Milton , Modified Dakin's solution , Natriumhypochloriet , Piochlor , Purex , Saniton Toothbrush Sanitizer , Sodium hypochlorite , SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE (SOLUTION, ACTIVE CHLORINE <10%) , SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE (SOLUTION, ACTIVE CHLORINE >10%) , Sodiumhypochlorite , Surgical chlorinated soda solution
 
Products Containing This Chemical
Current and historic U.S. registered products
View U.S. Products All Products Currently Registered Products
 

Signs and Symptoms of Sodium hypochlorite Poisoning

NOTE! There may be other diseases and chemicals that have similar symptoms.

If you have a poisoning emergency in the United States call 1-800-222-1222.
If the victim has collapsed or is unconscious, call 911.

Sodium hypochlorite is a Hypochlorite compound.

Report a Poisoning
Symptoms of Poisoning with Hypochlorite Compounds
Find Products Containing this Chemical

- Mildly corrosive to eyes.
- Mucous membrane burns.

Source for Group Symptoms: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 19. March 1999.
Treatment for Hypochlorite Poisoning

See: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA

 
Symptoms of Sodium hypochlorite Exposure from the International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC)

Report a Poisoning
View full ICSC Cards: English   Español   Française   Chinese   Dutch   Finnish   German   Hungarian   Japanese   Swahili   Thai   Urdu  
NOTE! PREVENT GENERATION OF MISTS!

Route of Exposure

Symptoms

First Aid
Inhalation Cough. Sore throat. Fresh air rest. Refer for medical attention.
Skin Redness. Pain. First rinse with plenty of water then remove contaminated clothes and rinse again.
Eyes Redness. Pain. First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible) then take to a doctor.
Ingestion Abdominal pain. Burning sensation. Cough. Diarrhoea. Sore throat. Vomiting. Rinse mouth. Give plenty of water to drink. Refer for medical attention.
Notes for ICSC Information
Household bleaches usually contain about 5% sodium hypochlorite (about pH11 irritant) and more concentrated bleaches contain 10-15% sodium hypochlorite (about pH13 corrosive). Rinse contaminated clothes (fire hazard) with plenty of water. Clorox and Javel water are trade names. Also consult ICSC #1119 (Sodium hypochlorite active chlorine >10%).
Symptoms of Sodium hypochlorite Exposure from Other Sources

- Mild corrosion of eyes.
- Mucous membrane burns.

Source for Symptoms: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 19. March 1999. (EPA R&M)

First Aid for Sodium hypochlorite Poisoning

No first aid available for this particular chemical. Get medical aid.

Source for First Aid: (ICSC)

Treatment for Sodium hypochlorite Poisoning

See: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 19. (EPA R&M)

 
 

Toxicity Information for Sodium hypochlorite

  Note: Information for many chemicals is incomplete and may not be fully representative of effects on humans. Why?

Summary Toxicity Information

PAN Bad Actor
Chemical 1 		Acute
Toxicity 2 		Carcinogen Cholinesterase
Inhibitor 		Ground
Water Contaminant 		Developmental or
Reproductive Toxin 		Endocrine
Disruptor
Unclassifiable No
 
Indicates high toxicity in the given toxicological category. Indicates no available weight-of-the-evidence summary assessment. For additional information on toxicity from scientific journals or registration documents, see the "Additional Resources for Toxicity " section of the chemical detail page.
1. PAN Bad Actors are chemicals that are one or more of the following: highly acutely toxic, cholinesterase inhibitor, known/probable carcinogen, known groundwater pollutant or known reproductive or developmental toxicant. NOTE! Because there are no authoritative lists of Endocrine Disrupting (ED) chemicals, EDs are not yet considered PAN Bad Actor chemicals.
2. The acute toxicity reported on this page is of the pure chemical ingredient only and may not reflect the acute toxicity of individual pesticide products. To view acute toxicity of individual products, click on 'View Products' link in the 'Chemical Identification' section above.

Additional Resources about the Toxicity of this Chemical

See the Global Pesticide Resources page for many additional links.

Detailed Toxicity Information
This Chemical
Parent Chemical 
Acute Toxicity 2
 Sodium hypochlorite Calcium hypochlorite
WHO Acute Hazard
TRI Acute Hazard
Material Safety Data Sheets
Acute rating from U.S. EPA product label
U.S. NTP Acute Toxicity Studies
      View Studies
Cholinesterase Inhibitor		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Available
Highly Toxic
No NTP Studies

No 		Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Available
Highly Toxic
No NTP Studies

No
2. The acute toxicity reported on this page is of the pure chemical ingredient only and may not reflect the acute toxicity of individual pesticide products. To view acute toxicity of individual products, click on 'View Products' link in the 'Chemical Identification' section above.
 
Cancer Information
 Sodium hypochlorite Calcium hypochlorite
IARC Carcinogens
U.S. NTP Carcinogens
California Prop 65 Known Carcinogens
U.S. EPA Carcinogens
TRI Carcinogen		 3, Unclassifiable
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed		 3, Unclassifiable
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
 
Endocrine Disruption
 Sodium hypochlorite Calcium hypochlorite
Illinois EPA list
Keith list
Colborn list
Benbrook list
Danish Inert list
EU list		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
 
Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity
 Sodium hypochlorite Calcium hypochlorite
CA Prop 65 Developmental Toxin
U.S. TRI Developmental Toxin
CA Prop 65 Female Reproductive Toxin
CA Prop 65 Male Reproductive Toxin
U.S. TRI Reproductive Toxin 		Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed 		Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
 
Chemicals of Special Concern
 Sodium hypochlorite Calcium hypochlorite
PAN Bad Actors
PAN Dirty Dozen list		 Yes
Not Listed		 Yes
Not Listed
 

Water Pollution Potential and Criteria for Sodium hypochlorite

Water Pollution Potential

This Chemical
Parent Chemical
  Sodium hypochlorite Calcium hypochlorite
PAN Ground Water Contaminant Rating Insufficient Data Insufficient Data
 

Sorry, no water quality standards or criteria have been established for this chemical by the U.S. or Canadian governments; however, there may be criteria established for related chemicals.
 

Regulatory Information for Sodium hypochlorite

International Regulatory Status
This Chemical
Parent Chemical 
Registration in Selected Countries Registration in Selected Countries:
Sodium hypochlorite
 Registration for Selected Countries:
Calcium hypochlorite
 
UNEP Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP)
UNEP Prior Informed Consent Chemical (PIC)
WHO Obsolete Pesticide		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
 

U.S. and California Regulatory Status
U.S. EPA Registered
U.S. EPA Hazardous Air Pollutant
U.S. EPA Minimum Risk Pesticide (25b list)

CA Registered
CA Groundwater Contaminant
CA Toxic Air Contaminant 		Yes
Not Listed
No

Yes
Not Listed
Not Listed 		Yes
Not Listed
No

Yes
Not Listed
Not Listed
 

Maximum Tolerance and Residue Levels
Codex Alimentarius
   (UN FAO Maximum Residue Limits)
U.S. Maximum Tolerance Levels
European Union Maximum Residue Levels 		Go to web site

Go to web site
Go to web site
 

Ecotoxicity for Sodium hypochlorite

Note! Information for many chemicals is incomplete and may not be fully representative of effects on the environment. Why? Click on underlined terms for definitions and additional information.

Aquatic Ecotoxicity
All Toxic Effects for Organism Group
Organism Group Effects Noted
Amphibians Biochemistry, Genetics
Annelida Behavior, Mortality
Crustaceans Biochemistry, Growth, Mortality, Physiology, Population
Echinoderms Behavior, Mortality, Reproduction
Fish Avoidance, Behavior, Biochemistry, Genetics, Growth, Histology, Hormone(s), Mortality, Physiology
Insects Growth, Mortality, Population
MarineBenthicCommunity Cell(s)
Molluscs Behavior, Biochemistry, Feeding Behavior, Growth, Histology, Mortality, Physiology, Reproduction
NematodesandFlatworms Mortality
Phytoplankton Biochemistry, Cell(s), Enzyme(s), Growth, Mortality, Physiology, Population
Zooplankton Behavior, Development, Growth, Intoxication, Mortality, Population, Reproduction
~ Un-Assigned Behavior, Mortality
View All Aquatic Ecotoxicity Studies and References
 
Summary of Acute Toxicity for Organism Group
Organism Group Average Acute Toxicity Acute Toxicity Range
Annelida Moderately Toxic Moderate Toxicity
Crustaceans Moderately Toxic Moderate to Very High Toxicity
Fish Highly Toxic Moderate to Very High Toxicity
Insects Highly Toxic Moderate to High Toxicity
Molluscs Moderately Toxic Slight to High Toxicity
NematodesandFlatworms Slightly Toxic Slight Toxicity
Phytoplankton Moderately Toxic Moderate to Very High Toxicity
Zooplankton Moderately Toxic Slight to Very High Toxicity
~ Un-Assigned Highly Toxic Highly Toxic
View All Acute Summaries
 

Terrestrial Ecotoxicity

We are seeking funding to incorporate terrestrial ecotoxicity data analogous to the aquatic ecotoxicity data in the space above. Watch this space!

Related Chemicals for Sodium hypochlorite
CAS Number Relation Reason Chemical Name Chem Detail Registration Symptoms California Use Chem Use Type U.S. EPA Reg PAN Bad Actor
7778-54-3 Parent P Calcium hypochlorite View View View View Algaecide, Water Treatment Yes Yes
Related 1 Calcium hypochlorite-dodecylbenzene sulfonate complex View View View View Microbiocide No Not Listed
56802-99-4 Related 1 Chlorinated trisodium phosphate (prior TSP & sodium hypochlorite) View View View View Water Treatment No Yes
Related 1 Hypochlorite salts View View View View Water Treatment, Microbiocide No Not Listed
7790-92-3 Related 1 Hypochlorous acid View View View View Water Treatment, Microbiocide, pH Adjustment Yes Not Listed
13840-33-0 Related 1 Lithium hypochlorite View View View View Microbiocide, Water Treatment Yes Yes
7778-66-7 Related 1 Potassium hypochlorite View View View View Microbiocide No Not Listed
Related 1 Sodium hypobromite View View View View Microbiocide No Not Listed
7681-52-9 Related 1 Sodium hypochlorite View View View View Microbiocide, Water Treatment, Nematicide Yes Yes
 
Working with the Information on this Page

Click on underlined terms for definitions or go to the Pesticide Tutorial overview page.

Any underlined term with a book icon has additional information.

* Data marked with an asterisk indicates that this chemical is not explicitly listed on the corresponding list. Instead, it belongs to a group of chemicals that IS designated on the list. For example, if an agency assigns a classification of reproductive toxicant to "mercury compounds", that classification is applied to all mercury compounds in the PAN Pesticide database, which are then marked with an asterisk.

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Citation: Kegley, S.E., Hill, B.R., Orme S., Choi A.H., PAN Pesticide Database, Pesticide Action Network, North America (San Francisco, CA, 2010), http:www.pesticideinfo.org.
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