Provenance

Reference data from EU CLP Annex VI and published regulations — verify against your supplier's SDS before use.

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Substance profile

Chrysene

Chrysene is red blue fluorescent orthorhombic plates from benzene, acetic acid.

CAS 218-01-9 C18H12 228.3 g/mol Danger

01 · Identification

What Chrysene is

Chrysene is red blue fluorescent orthorhombic plates from benzene, acetic acid. Its molecular formula is C18H12 and its molecular weight is 228.3 g/mol. It boils at 448 °C, melts at 255 °C.

Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as carcinogens.

02 · Identifiers

Chrysene identifiers and molecular data

Chrysene CAS number and EC number

CAS number218-01-9
EC number205-923-4
Index number (CLP Annex VI)601-048-00-0

Chrysene molecular formula and molecular weight

Molecular formulaC18H12
Molecular weight228.3 g/mol
Chemical class Carcinogens

03 · GHS classification

Chrysene hazard classification

Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.

Chrysene pictograms and signal word

Signal wordDanger

Chrysene hazard class and category

GHS hazard classes Chrysene falls into
Hazard class Category From code Pictogram
Germ cell mutagenicity GHS chapter 3.5 Category 2 H341 GHS08
Carcinogenicity GHS chapter 3.6 Category 1A or 1B H350 GHS08
Hazardous to the aquatic environment - acute GHS chapter 4.1 Category 1 H400 GHS09
Hazardous to the aquatic environment - chronic GHS chapter 4.1 Category 1 H410 GHS09

Where two values are shown with “or”, the hazard statement is shared by more than one category or by more than one class, and the code alone does not say which. H272, for example, belongs to oxidising liquids and to oxidising solids — the physical state decides. The binding answer for a specific entry is in the CLP Annex VI table itself.

Chrysene hazard statements (H-codes)

Hazard statements assigned to Chrysene
CodeHazard statement
H350 May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
H341 Suspected of causing genetic defects <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
H400 Very toxic to aquatic life.
H410 Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.

This page lists only the codes assigned to Chrysene. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.

Safety Data Sheet

Getting an SDS for Chrysene

A Safety Data Sheet is written for a product, not for a substance: the supplier of the grade you actually buy issues it, so two suppliers of Chrysene issue two different sheets. That is why there is no single authoritative SDS for a substance to download — what there is, is the job of collecting the sheets for the products you hold and keeping them current as suppliers revise them.

04 · Precautionary statements

Chrysene precautionary statements

CLP Annex VI assigns 7 precautionary statements to Chrysene. They are grouped the way a label groups them: what to do before handling, what to do when something has already happened, how to store it and how to dispose of it.

Response

What to do once exposure, spillage or fire has already happened.

Disposal

What has to happen to the contents and the empty container.

Reading the notation. is a blank the supplier fills in — not a truncated sentence.· [square brackets] mark a part printed only when it applies.

05 · Names in the regulation

Chrysene name in 23 EU languages

CLP Annex VI Part 3 is published in every language edition of the regulation, and the identification column is written out in each of them. Nothing below is translated by us: each line is the name as that edition prints it. Under Art. 18(2) the substance name from Annex VI is a lawful product identifier, so this is the wording to put on a label going to that market — and where the cell lists several designations, any one of them qualifies.

Language Name in CLP Annex VI Part 3
Bulgarian български хризен
Spanish español Criseno
Czech čeština chrysen
Danish dansk chrysen
German Deutsch Chrysen
Estonian eesti krüseen
Greek ελληνικά χρυσένιο
English English chrysene
French français chrysène
Croatian hrvatski krizen
Italian italiano m -menta-1,3(8)-diene
Latvian latviešu hrizēns
Lithuanian lietuvių chrizenas
Hungarian magyar krizén
Maltese Malti krisen
Dutch Nederlands chryseen
Polish polski chryzen
Portuguese português criseno
Romanian română crisen
Slovak slovenčina chryzén
Slovenian slovenščina krizen
Finnish suomi kryseeni
Swedish svenska krysen

All 23 language editions of Annex VI carry this entry. Irish is the twenty-fourth official EU language and has no line here for a different reason: no consolidated CLP text has ever been published in Irish, so there is no Irish edition of Annex VI to quote a name from. Source: consolidated CLP, CELEX 02008R1272, language editions. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic.

06 · Label elements

Chrysene GHS label elements

Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Chrysene, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.

GHS08 Health hazard pictogramGHS09 Environment pictogram

Danger

Chrysene

  • May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
  • Suspected of causing genetic defects <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>.
  • Very toxic to aquatic life.
  • Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
  • Obtain special instructions before use.
  • Avoid release to the environment.
  • Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/
  • IF exposed or concerned:
  • Get medical advice/attention.
  • Collect spillage.
  • Dispose of contents/container to

Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity

Need this as an actual label? Open Chrysene in the GHS label constructor →

07 · Health hazards

Chrysene health hazards and exposure limits

Chrysene hazard summary

Toxic by ingestion; [CAMEO] See POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS.

Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases

Chrysene carcinogenicity classification

IARC classification Group 2B — Possibly carcinogenic to humans
IARC monographs Volume 92: (2010) Some Non-heterocyclic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Some Related Exposures

CLASSIFICATION: B2; probable human carcinogen. BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION: No human data and sufficient data from animal bioasays. Chrysene produced carcinomas and malignant lymphoma in mice after intraperitoneal injection and skin carcinomas in mice following dermal exposure. Chrysene produced chromosomal abnormalities in hamsters and mouse germ cells after gavage exposure, positive responses in bacterial gene mutation assays and transformed mammalian cells exposed in culture. HUMAN CARCINOGENICITY DATA: None. ANIMAL CARCINOGENICITY DATA: Sufficient.

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

No data are available in humans. Limited evidence of carcinogenicity in animals. OVERALL EVALUATION: Group 3: The agent is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

An IARC group and a CLP classification answer different questions. IARC judges whether the evidence for cancer in humans is strong enough; CLP Annex VI is the legally binding EU classification. A substance can carry one and not the other.

Chrysene occupational exposure limits

US occupational exposure limits reported for Chrysene. PEL is enforceable (OSHA), REL is a recommendation (NIOSH), IDLH is the concentration at which escape becomes impossible without injury.
Limit Value Source
PEL 0.2 [mg/m3] Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
PEL 0.2 mg/m³ Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
REL 0.1 mg/m³ (as coal tar pitch volatiles [cyclohexane-extractable fraction]) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
IDLH NIOSH considers coal tar pitch volatiles to be potential occupational carcinogens. /Coal tar pitch volatiles/ Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
IDLH 80 mg/m³ (coal tar pitch volatiles) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

These are United States values. The European Union sets its own indicative and binding limits, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation — not the one shown here.

08 · Physical and chemical properties

Chrysene properties

Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.

Chrysene boiling point

Property Value Conditions Source
Boiling point 448 °C (838.4 °F) HSDB
447.78 °C (838 °F) at 760 mmHg CAMEO

Chrysene melting point

Property Value Conditions Source
Melting point 255 °C (491 °F) HSDB
253.89 °C (489 °F) CAMEO

Chrysene density

Property Value Conditions Source
Density 1.3 g/cm³ ICSC
1.274 g/cm³ at 20 °C HSDB

Chrysene solubility

Property Value Conditions Source
Solubility Slightly soluble in ethanol, ethyl ether, acetone, benzene, carbon disulfide; insoluble in toluene HSDB
In water, 2.0X10-3 mg/L at 25 °C at 25 °C HSDB
Solubility in water at 25 °C: 0.0020 + or - 0.0002 mg/L at 25 °C HSDB

Chrysene vapor pressure

Property Value Conditions Source
Vapor pressure 6.3e-7 mmHg HSDB
6.23e-9 mmHg at 25 °C HSDB

Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.

09 · Handling and storage

Chrysene storage and handling

Chrysene safe storage

Separated from strong oxidants. Store in an area without drain or sewer access. Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing.

Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)

Chrysene storage conditions

Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place.

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Chrysene incompatible materials

Incompatible materials: Strong oxidizing agents.

Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

Chrysene reactivity

Vigorous reactions, sometimes amounting to explosions, can result from the contact between aromatic hydrocarbons, such as CHRYSENE, and strong oxidizing agents. They can react exothermically with bases and with diazo compounds. Substitution at the benzene nucleus occurs by halogenation (acid catalyst), nitration, sulfonation, and the Friedel-Crafts reaction.

Source: CAMEO Chemicals

Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Chrysene in the storage compatibility matrix →

10 · Questions

Chrysene — frequently asked questions

What is the CAS number of Chrysene?

The CAS number of Chrysene is 218-01-9. Its EC number is 205-923-4.

What is the chemical formula of Chrysene?

The molecular formula of Chrysene is C18H12 and its molecular weight is 228.3 g/mol.

What does a Chrysene label have to show?

Under CLP Annex VI the label for Chrysene carries the pictograms Health hazard and Environment and the signal word is Danger.

Is Chrysene flammable?

CLP Annex VI assigns Chrysene no flammability hazard class. That is not a statement that it cannot burn: the harmonised list only records the hazards that were assessed for it.

Is Chrysene a carcinogen?

Yes. CLP Annex VI classifies Chrysene as a category 1A or 1B carcinogen and assigns it H350: may cause cancer. IARC places it in Group 2B: possibly carcinogenic to humans.

What is the exposure limit for Chrysene?

The US occupational exposure limit reported for Chrysene is 0.2 [mg/m3] (Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases). Limits differ by country: the EU sets its own indicative and binding values, and the figure that applies at a given workplace is the one in the local regulation.

What is the boiling point of Chrysene?

The boiling point reported for Chrysene is 448 °C (838.4 °F) (HSDB).

What is the melting point of Chrysene?

The melting point reported for Chrysene is 255 °C (491 °F) (HSDB).

How should Chrysene be stored?

Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))

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