Substance profile
Triclosan
Triclosan is a white to off-white crystalline powder with a slight, faintly aromatic odor.
01 · Identification
What Triclosan is
Triclosan is a white to off-white crystalline powder with a slight, faintly aromatic odor. Its molecular formula is C12H7Cl3O2 and its molecular weight is 289.5 g/mol. It boils at 285 °C, melts at 55.7 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Warning.
02 · Identifiers
Triclosan identifiers and molecular data
Triclosan CAS number and EC number
Triclosan molecular formula and molecular weight
Other names for Triclosan
- 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxy-diphenyl-ether
- 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol
03 · GHS classification
Triclosan hazard classification
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
Triclosan pictograms and signal word
Triclosan hazard class and category
| Hazard class | Category | From code | Pictogram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin corrosion/irritation GHS chapter 3.2 | Category 2 | H315 | GHS07 |
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation GHS chapter 3.3 | Category 2A | H319 | GHS07 |
| 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 |
Triclosan hazard statements (H-codes)
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H315 | Causes skin irritation. |
| H319 | Causes serious eye irritation. |
| H400 | Very toxic to aquatic life. |
| H410 | Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
This page lists only the codes assigned to Triclosan. 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 Triclosan
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 Triclosan 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
Triclosan precautionary statements
CLP Annex VI assigns 12 precautionary statements to Triclosan. 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
Triclosan 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 | триклозан 2′-хидрокси-2,4,4′-трихлородифенилов етер5-хлоро-2-(2,4-дихлорофенокси)фенол |
| Spanish español | Triclosán éter de 2,4,4'-tricloro-2'-hidroxidifenilo5-cloro-2-(2,4-diclorofenoxi)fenol |
| Czech čeština | triklosan 5-chlor-2-(2,4-dichlorfenoxy)fenol2,4,4'-trichlor-2'-hydroxy-difenylether |
| Danish dansk | triclosan 2,4,4'-trichlor-2'-hydroxydiphenylether5-chlor-2-(2,4-dichlorphenoxy)phenol |
| German Deutsch | Triclosan 2,4,4'-Trichlor-2'-hydroxydiphenylether5-Chlor-2-(2,4-dichlorphenoxy)phenol |
| Estonian eesti | triklosaan 2,4,4'-trikloro-2'-hüdroksüdifenüüleeter5-kloro-2-(2,4-diklorofenoksü)fenool |
| Greek ελληνικά | τρικλοσάνη 2,4,4′-τριχλωρο-2′-υδροξυδιφαινυλαιθέρας5-χλωρο-2-(2,4-διχλωροφαινοξυ)φαινόλη |
| English English | triclosan 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxy-diphenyl-ether5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol |
| French français | triclosan 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxy-diphényléther5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophénoxy)phénol |
| Croatian hrvatski | triklosan 2,4,4'-triklor-2'-hidroksi-difenil-eter5-klor-2-(2,4-diklorfenoksi)fenol |
| Italian italiano | triclosano 2,4,4'-tricloro-2'-idrossi- difenil-etere5-cloro-2-(2,4-diclorofenossi)fenolo |
| Latvian latviešu | triklozāns 2,4,4′-trihlor-2′-hidroksidifenilēteris5-hlor-2-(2,4-dihlorfenoksi)fenols |
| Lithuanian lietuvių | triklozanas 2,4,4′-trichlor-2′-hidroksidifenileteris5-chlor-2-(2,4-dichlorfenoksi)fenolis |
| Hungarian magyar | triklozán 2,4,4’-triklór-2’-hidroxidifenil-éter5-klór-2-(2,4-diklórfenoxi)fenol |
| Maltese Malti | triklosan 2,4,4'-trikloro-2'-idrossi-difenil-eter5-kloro-2-(2,4-diklorofenossi)fenol |
| Dutch Nederlands | triclosan 2,4,4'-trichloor-2'-hydroxy-difenylether5-chloor-2-(2,4-dichloorfenoxy)fenol |
| Polish polski | triklosan eter 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroksydifenylowy5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorofenoksy)fenol |
| Portuguese português | triclosano éter 2,4,4'-tricloro-2'-hidroxidifenílico5-cloro-2-(2,4-diclorofenoxi)fenol |
| Romanian română | triclosan 2,4,4'-tricloro-2'-hidroxi-difenil-eter5-cloro-2-(2,4-diclorofenoxi)fenol |
| Slovak slovenčina | triklosán 2,4,4'-trichlór-2'-hydroxydifenyléter5-chlór-2-(2,4-dichlórfenoxy)fenol |
| Slovenian slovenščina | triklosan 2,4,4'-trikloro-2'-hidroksi-difenil-eter5-kloro-2-(2,4-diklorofenoksi)fenol |
| Finnish suomi | triklosaani 2,4,4'-trikloori-2'-hydroksidifenyylieetteri5-kloori-2-(2,4-dikloorifenoksi)fenoli |
| Swedish svenska | triklosan 2,4,4'-triklor-2'-hydroxidifenyleter5-klor-2-(2,4-diklorfenoxi)fenol |
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
Triclosan GHS label elements
Everything CLP Annex VI fixes for Triclosan, laid out the way it appears on a label. The greyed lines are the parts only the supplier can fill in.
Warning
Triclosan
- Causes skin irritation.
- Causes serious eye irritation.
- Very toxic to aquatic life.
- Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
- Wash … thoroughly after handling.
- Avoid release to the environment.
- Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection/hearing protection/…
- IF ON SKIN:
- IF IN EYES:
- Get medical advice/attention.
- If skin irritation occurs:
- If eye irritation persists:
- Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- 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 Triclosan in the GHS label constructor →
07 · Health hazards
Triclosan health hazards and exposure limits
Triclosan carcinogenicity classification
Studied by the US National Toxicology Program: TR-604: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Study of Triclosan (CASRN 3380-34-5) Administered Dermally to B6C3F1/N Mice (2024 )
Cancer Classification: Not Yet Determined
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.
08 · Physical and chemical properties
Triclosan 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.
Triclosan boiling point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boiling point | 285 °C (545 °F) | range, midpoint shown | HSDB |
| 120 °C (248 °F) | DrugBank |
Triclosan melting point
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 55.65 °C (132.2 °F) | range, midpoint shown | HSDB |
| 56 °C (132.8 °F) | range, midpoint shown | DrugBank |
Triclosan solubility
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solubility | Slightly soluble in water | HSDB | |
| Readily soluble in alkaline solutions and many organic solvents; soluble in methanol, alcohol, acetone | HSDB | ||
| In water, 10 mg/L at 20 °C | at 20 °C | HSDB |
Triclosan vapor pressure
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapor pressure | 0.0000046 mmHg | Haz-Map |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
09 · Handling and storage
Triclosan storage and handling
Triclosan storage conditions
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Triclosan incompatible materials
Incompatible materials: Strong oxidizing agents.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Triclosan in the storage compatibility matrix →
10 · Questions
Triclosan — frequently asked questions
What is the CAS number of Triclosan?
The CAS number of Triclosan is 3380-34-5. Its EC number is 222-182-2.
What is the chemical formula of Triclosan?
The molecular formula of Triclosan is C12H7Cl3O2 and its molecular weight is 289.5 g/mol.
What does a Triclosan label have to show?
Under CLP Annex VI the label for Triclosan carries the pictograms Exclamation mark and Environment and the signal word is Warning.
Is Triclosan flammable?
CLP Annex VI assigns Triclosan 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 Triclosan a carcinogen?
CLP Annex VI records no harmonised carcinogenicity classification for Triclosan. 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 boiling point of Triclosan?
The boiling point reported for Triclosan is 285 °C (545 °F), range, midpoint shown (HSDB).
What is the melting point of Triclosan?
The melting point reported for Triclosan is 55.65 °C (132.2 °F), range, midpoint shown (HSDB).
How should Triclosan be stored?
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB))
Nearby
Substances next to Triclosan
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