Citric acid

RTECS #

GE7350000

CAS #

77-92-9
See: NMAM or OSHA Methods

Updated

December 2017

Molecular Weight

192.14

Molecular Formula

C₆H₈O₇

Synonyms

1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-
2-Hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid
Aciletten
Anhydrous citric acid
beta-Hydroxytricarballylic acid
Citretten
Citric acid, anhydrous
Citro
Kyselina 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propantrikarbonova (Czech)
Kyselina citronova (Czech)
NSC 30279

Skin and Eye Irritation and References

Route/Organism	Dose	Effect	Reference
eye /rabbit	750 µg/24H	severe	85JCAE -,658,1986
skin /rabbit	0.5 mL	moderate	HPV093 -,-,2001
skin /rabbit	500 mg/24H	mild	85JCAE -,658,1986

Acute Toxicity Data and References

Route/Organism	Dose	Effect	Reference
In Vitro/ela	Inhibitor Concentration (50 percent kill): 1.58 gm/L/24H	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Cell metabolic activity: Alamar Blue assay etc.	FCTOD7 78,105,2015
In Vitro/embryo	Inhibitor Concentration (50 percent kill): 1.03 gm/L/24H	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Cell metabolic activity: Alamar Blue assay etc.	TIVIEQ 29,289,2015
In Vitro/Human, liver tumor	Inhibitor Concentration (50 percent kill): 20 mmol/L/24H	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Cell protein synthesis	TIVIEQ 3,189,1989
In Vitro/Human, lymphocyte	Inhibitor Concentration (30 percent kill): >200 mg/L/45H	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Cell viability (dye exclusion): trypan blue assay etc.	TIVIEQ 29,901,2015
In Vitro/Human, lymphocyte	Inhibitor Concentration (50 percent kill): >200 mg/L/45H	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Other assays	TIVIEQ 29,901,2015
In Vitro/Human, skin	Inhibitor Concentration Low: 60 mg/well/10M	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Cell viability (mitochondrial reductase assays): MTT, XTT, MTS, WSTs assays etc.	TIVIEQ 27,1476,2013
In Vitro/Non-mammalian species, fibroblast	Inhibitor Concentration (50 percent kill): 3.4 mmol/L/24H	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Cell counting	TIVIEQ 7,537,1993
In Vitro/Rabbit, ocular	Inhibitor Concentration Low: 5 pph/5M	In Vitro Toxicity Studies: Cell viability (mitochondrial reductase assays): MTT, XTT, MTS, WSTs assays etc.	TIVIEQ 27,1855,2013
inhalation/guinea pig	lowest published toxic concentration: 115284 gm/m³/2M	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Other changes	JPHPH* 58,419,2007
inhalation/guinea pig	lowest published toxic concentration: 19214 gm/m³/10M	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough	EJPHAZ 528,158,2005
inhalation/guinea pig	lowest published toxic concentration: 100000 gm/m³	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough	TOXID9 44,298,2005
inhalation/guinea pig	lowest published toxic concentration: 300000 gm/m³	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Bronchiolar constriction, including asthma	TOXID9 44,298,2005
inhalation/guinea pig	lowest published toxic concentration: 11528 gm/m³/3M	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough Blood: Changes in serum composition (e.g. TP, bilirubin, cholesterol) Biochemical: Metabolism (intermediary): Effect on inflammation or mediation of inflammation	TXAPA9 202,18,2005
inhalation/guinea pig	lowest published toxic concentration: 20 pph/10M	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough	BJPCBM 138,407,2003
inhalation/human	lowest published toxic concentration: 87328 gm/m³/0.0083M	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough	JPHPH* 58,531,2007
inhalation/monkey	lowest published toxic concentration: 2.5 pph/5M	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough	TOXID9 44,298,2005
inhalation/rat	lowest published toxic concentration: 180 mg/m³	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Other changes Liver: Liver function tests impaired Biochemical: Enzyme inhibition, induction, or change in blood or tissue levels: Dehydrogenases	TOVEFN (5),9,1994
intraperitoneal/mouse	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 903 mg/kg		TXCYAC 62,203,1990
intraperitoneal/rat	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 290 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
intraperitoneal/rat	lethal dose (16 percent kill): 197 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
intraperitoneal/rat	lowest published lethal dose: 382 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
intratracheal/guinea pig	lowest published toxic dose: 3 mg/kg	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cough	JPHSC* 101,118,2006
intratracheal/guinea pig	lowest published toxic dose: 118 gm/kg	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Bronchiolar constriction, including asthma Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Sputum Biochemical: Metabolism (intermediary): Histamines (including liberation not immunochemical in origin)	TXAPA9 206,343,2005
intravenous/Dog	lowest published toxic dose: 64 mg/kg/30M	Cardiac: Change in rate Nutritional and Gross Metabolic: Changes in: Ca Nutritional and Gross Metabolic: Changes in: Other metals	CLNUT* 25,984,2006
intravenous/Dog	lowest published toxic dose: 63 mg/kg/1H	Cardiac: EKG changes not diagnostic of above Nutritional and Gross Metabolic: Changes in: Ca Nutritional and Gross Metabolic: Changes in: Other metals	CLNUT* 25,984,2006
intravenous/Dog	lowest published toxic dose: 256 mg/kg/2H	Cardiac: EKG changes not diagnostic of above Gastrointestinal: Nausea or vomiting Nutritional and Gross Metabolic: Changes in: Ca	CLNUT* 25,984,2006
intravenous/Dog	lowest published toxic dose: 256 mg/kg/1H	Cardiac: Arrythmias (indlucing changes in conduction) Gastrointestinal: Changes in structure or function of salivary glands Gastrointestinal: Nausea or vomiting	CLNUT* 25,984,2006
intravenous/mouse	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 42 mg/kg	Behavioral: Convulsions or effect on seizure threshold Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cyanosis Gastrointestinal: Changes in structure or function of salivary glands	JPETAB 94,65,1948
intravenous/rabbit	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 330 mg/kg	Behavioral: Convulsions or effect on seizure threshold Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Cyanosis Gastrointestinal: Changes in structure or function of salivary glands	JPETAB 94,65,1948
oral/mouse	lethal dose (16 percent kill): 5440 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
oral/mouse	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 7280 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
oral/mouse	lowest published lethal dose: 9080 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
oral/mouse	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 5040 mg/kg	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Other changes Musculoskeletal: Other changes	TAKHAA 30,25,1971
oral/rabbit	lowest published lethal dose: 7 gm/kg	Behavioral: Tremor Behavioral: Convulsions or effect on seizure threshold Behavioral: Muscle contraction or spasticity	IECHAD 15,628,1923
oral/rat	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 3 gm/kg		OYYAA2 43,561,1992
oral/rat	lethal dose (16 percent kill): 5000 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
oral/rat	lowest published lethal dose: 8300 mg/kg		TOVEFN (5),9,1994
oral/rat	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 11700 mg/kg	Behavioral: Ataxia Cardiac: Change in rate Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Respiratory depression	HPV093 -,-,2001
subcutaneous/mouse	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 2700 mg/kg	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Other changes Musculoskeletal: Other changes	TAKHAA 30,25,1971
subcutaneous/rat	lethal dose (50 percent kill): 5500 mg/kg	Lung, Thorax, or Respiration: Other changes Musculoskeletal: Other changes	TAKHAA 30,25,1971

Other Multiple Dose Data and References

Route/Organism	Dose	Effect	Reference
oral/rat	lowest published toxic dose: 9.3 gm/kg/15D- intermittent	Biochemical: Enzyme inhibition, induction, or change in blood or tissue levels: Other transferases Blood: Changes in serum composition (e.g. TP, bilirubin, cholesterol)	GISAAA -,65,1993
oral/rat	lowest published toxic dose: 18.6 gm/kg/30D- intermittent	Biochemical: Enzyme inhibition, induction, or change in blood or tissue levels: Phosphatases Biochemical: Enzyme inhibition, induction, or change in blood or tissue levels: Peptidases Blood: Changes in serum composition (e.g. TP, bilirubin, cholesterol)	GISAAA -,65,1993
oral/rat	lowest published toxic dose: 12.6 gm/kg/21D- intermittent	Immunological Including Allergic: Decreased immune response	GISAAA -,65,1993

Reviews

Organization	Standard	Reference
TOXICOLOGY REVIEW		FTRPAE 115,155,2016

Standards and Regulations

Organization	Standard	Reference
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) 1988 PESTICIDE SUBJECT TO REGISTRATION OR RE-REGISTRATION		FEREAC 54,7740,1989
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) 1998 STATUS OF PESTICIDES	RED Completed	RBREV* -,302,1998
Occupational Exposure Limit-RUSSIA	short term exposure limit 1 mg/m³, JUN2003

NIOSH Documentation and Surveillance

Organization	Standard	Reference
National Occupational Exposure Survey 1983	Hazard Code X1191; Number of Industries 1; Total Number of Facilities 22; Number of Occupations 2; Total Number of Employees Exposed 130; Total Number of Female Employees Exposed 108
National Occupational Exposure Survey 1983	Hazard Code 19680; Number of Industries 244; Total Number of Facilities 49113; Number of Occupations 182; Total Number of Employees Exposed 1691218; Total Number of Female Employees Exposed 1083005
National Occupational Hazard Survey 1974	Hazard Code 19680; Number of Industries 157; Total Number of Facilities 28313; Number of Occupations 112; Total Number of Employees Exposed 307205

Status in Federal Agencies

Organization	Reference
EPA TSCA Section 8(b) CHEMICAL INVENTORY
EPA TSCA Section 8(d) unpublished health/safety studies
EPA TSCA TEST SUBMISSION (TSCATS) DATA BASE, JANUARY 2001

Page last reviewed: November 16, 2018

Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health