Sebacic Acid (SA) CAS No. 11-20-6

Synonym. Decanedioic acid.

Properties. White or cream, crystalline powder. Water solubility is 1 g/l at 17^oC and 20 g/l at 100^oC. Readily soluble in alcohol. Has no effect on the taste or odor of water: no frothing effect was noted. According to Andreyev,¹ organoleptic perception threshold is 250 mg/l.

Applications and Exposure. Used in the production of cold-resistant plasticizers, polyester and polyamide resins, and polyurethanes; a stabilizer for alkyd resins, antiscorching in the production of food-grade resins. Migration from SA-containing rubber samples into distillated water (40°C, for 24 h) has been studied by Prokolyeva.² Concentrations of 0.025 to 0.03 mg SA/I are reported.

Acute Toxicity. LD₅₀ is 3.4 g/kg BW in rats and 6 g SA/kg BW in mice. However, according to Kropotkin et al. (1980), administration of 11 mg/kg BW appeared to be not lethal to mice, rats, or rabbits, but in 2 d the animals experienced significant BW loss.

Short-term Toxicity. Oral administration of 110 and 1000 mg/kg BW to rats resulted in the reduction in BW gain and in STI value, a change in the enzymatic activity in the blood serum and liver homogenate. A reduction in protein content of the blood serum and pathological changes in the GI tract, liver, and kidneys were also observed. The NOEL of 11 mg/kg BW was identified in this study.¹

Long-term Toxicity. In a 7-month study, the treatment caused similar changes in rats.³

Reproductive Toxicity. The NOEL for gonadotoxic effect is likely to he 110 mg/kg BW.¹

Chemobiokinetics. Of the dose 30 to 46% is removed with the urine.

Standards. Russia (1988). MAC and PML: 2.5 mg/l.

Regulations. USFDA (1993) regulates the use of SA (1) in adhesives as components of articles intended fire use in packaging, transporting, or holding food, (2) in resinous and polymeric coating for articles and surfaces coming in contact with food, and (3) in cross-linked polyester resins that may be safely used as articles or components of articles intended for repeated use in contact with food.

References:

1. See ADIPIC ACID, # 1.

2. Hygiene of Use, Toxicology of Pesticides and Polymeric Materials. Coll. Works VNIIGINTOX, A.V. Pavlov, Ed., Kiev, 14, 1984. p.114 (in Russian).

3. .Sec ADIPIC ACID, #3

source: Sheftel, VO. Handbook of Toxic Properties of Monomers and Additives. 1995