Substance profile
Strychnine
Strychnine is a brilliant, colorless cubes from chloroform-ether and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Strychnine is
Strychnine is a brilliant, colorless cubes from chloroform-ether and is odorless. It melts at 284 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as > NIOSH Emergency Response Categories.
02 · Identifiers
Strychnine identifiers and molecular data
Strychnine CAS number and EC number
Strychnine molecular formula and molecular weight
03 · GHS classification
Strychnine hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Strychnine pictograms and signal word
Strychnine hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute toxicity - oral GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H300 | GHS06 |
| Acute toxicity - dermal GHS chapter 3.1 | Category 1 or 2 | H310 | GHS06 |
| 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.
Strychnine hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H310 | Fatal in contact with skin. |
| H300 | Fatal if swallowed. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Strychnine. 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 Strychnine
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 Strychnine 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
Strychnine precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 10 precautionary statements to Strychnine. 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.
Prevention
What to do before and during handling so the hazard never happens.
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
Strychnine 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 | стрихнин |
| Spanish español | Estricnina |
| Czech čeština | strychnin |
| Danish dansk | strychnin |
| German Deutsch | Strychnin |
| Estonian eesti | strühniin |
| Greek ελληνικά | στρυχνίνη |
| English English | strychnine |
| French français | strychnine |
| Croatian hrvatski | strihnin |
| Italian italiano | stricnina |
| Latvian latviešu | strihnīns |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | strichninas |
| Hungarian magyar | sztrichnin |
| Maltese Malti | striknina |
| Dutch Nederlands | strychnine |
| Polish polski | strychnina |
| Portuguese português | estricnina |
| Romanian română | stricnină |
| Slovak slovenčina | strychnín |
| Slovenian slovenščina | strihnin |
| Finnish suomi | strykniini |
| Swedish svenska | stryknin |
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
Strychnine GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Strychnine, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Danger
Strychnine
- Fatal in contact with skin.
- Fatal if swallowed.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF SWALLOWED:
- IF ON SKIN:
- Immediately call a POISON CENTER/doctor/…
- Rinse mouth.
- Wash with plenty of water/…
- Collect spillage.
- Dispose of contents/container to …
Supplier name, address and telephone number· Product identifier·Nominal quantity
Need this as an actual label? Open Strychnine in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Strychnine health hazards and exposure limits
Strychnine hazard summary
Poisoning by ingestion causes tonic spasms and convulsions. [ACGIH] Strychnine blocks the effect of glycine, the postsynaptic inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord. The resulting excitatory responses include exaggerated contractions of muscles, opisthotonus, and trismus in an alert patient. The spinal seizures are triggered by minimal sensory or motor stimuli. The extreme muscular contractions can cause rhabdomyolysis, myoglobinuria, and renal failure. Severe poisoning is fatal. [Ford, p. 857]
Source: Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases
Strychnine occupational exposure limits
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PEL | 0.15 [mg/m3] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| PEL | 0.15 mg/m³ | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| PEL | TWA 0.15 mg/m3 | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| REL | 0.15 mg/m³ | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) |
| REL | TWA 0.15 mg/m3 | The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
| IDLH | 3 mg/m3 (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO Chemicals |
| IDLH | 3.0 [mg/m3] | Haz-Map, Information on Hazardous Chemicals and Occupational Diseases |
| IDLH | 3 mg/cu m | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) |
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
Strychnine 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.
Strychnine boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 270 °C (518 °F) | at 5 mmHg (reduced pressure) | HSDB |
Strychnine melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 284 °C (543.2 °F) | HSDB | |
| 267.78 °C (514 °F) | NIOSH |
Strychnine density
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.36 g/cm³ | NIOSH | |
| 1.36 g/cm³ | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Strychnine solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | 6.7 g/L ethanol | HSDB | |
| In water, 160 mg/L at 25 °C | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Strychnine vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0 mmHg | at 20 °C | HSDB |
| Low | NIOSH | ||
| Low (NIOSH, 2024) | CAMEO |
Strychnine lower explosive limit (LEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower explosive limit (LEL) | Combustible Solid, but difficult to ignite. | NIOSH | |
| Material may burn but does not ignite readily. (EPA, 1998) | CAMEO |
Strychnine upper explosive limit (UEL)
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper explosive limit (UEL) | Material may burn but does not ignite readily. (EPA, 1998) | CAMEO |
Strychnine odor threshold
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odor threshold | Detection thresholds: 1.60 x 10(-6) mol/L water; 6.0 x 10(-4) mg/L water; 4.0 x 10(-4) g/L water | Strychnine hydrochloride | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Handling and storage
Strychnine storage and handling
Strychnine safe storage
Provision to contain effluent from fire extinguishing. Separated from strong oxidants and food and feedstuffs. Well closed.
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Strychnine storage conditions
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. ... Storage class (TRGS 510): 6.1B: Non-combustible, acute toxic Cat. 1 and 2 / very toxic hazardous materials.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Strychnine incompatible materials
Incompatible materials: Strong oxidizing agents.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Strychnine reactivity
STRYCHNINE is an alkaloid derivative. It is a base and forms water soluble salts with acids.
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Strychnine in the storage compatibility matrix →
10 · Transport
Strychnine UN number and transport classification
Transport classification is a separate system from the GHS classification above. It decides how a package is marked and how a load may be carried; it does not follow from the workplace label, and the workplace label does not follow from it. The entries below are linked by CAS number, never by name.
Strychnine under UN 1692 — shipping name, class and packing group
Europe · ADR 2025, Table A
| Proper shipping name (3.1.2) | Class | Classification code | PG | Labels (column 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRYCHNINE or STRYCHNINE SALTS | 6.1 | T2 | I | |
Source: ADR 2025, Table A of Chapter 3.2 · ECE/TRANS/352 Vol. I (UNECE). Class 6.1 is “Toxic substances” (ADR 2.1.1.1).
United States · 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table
| Proper shipping name (column 2) | Class or division | PG | Labels (column 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strychnine or Strychnine salts | 6.1 | I | |
Source: 49 CFR 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table · eCFR, revision 2026-08-03. Class 6.1 is “Poisonous materials” (49 CFR 173.2).
11 · Questions
Strychnine — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Strychnine?
The CAS number of Strychnine is 57-24-9. Its EC number is 200-319-7.
What does a Strychnine label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Strychnine carries the pictograms Skull and crossbones and Environment and the signal word is Danger.
Is Strychnine flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Strychnine 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 Strychnine a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Strychnine. Annex VI is a list of agreed classifications, not a list of substances found safe, so this is an absence of a classification rather than a clean bill of health.
What is the exposure limit for Strychnine?
The US occupational exposure limit reported for Strychnine is 0.15 [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 Strychnine?
The boiling point reported for Strychnine is 270 °C (518 °F), at 5 mmHg (reduced pressure) (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Strychnine?
The melting point reported for Strychnine is 284 °C (543.2 °F) (HSDB).
How should Strychnine be stored?
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. ... Storage class (TRGS 510): 6.1B: Non-combustible, acute toxic Cat. 1 and 2 / very toxic hazardous materials. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Strychnine
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