Test No. 436: Acute Inhalation Toxicity – Acute Toxic Class Method
The method described by this Test Guideline provides information that allows hazard
assessment for short-term exposure to a test article by inhalation, and allows the
substance to be classified according to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification
and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The test method is based on a stepwise procedure,
each step using 3 animals of each sex (the preferred species is rat). Animals are
exposed in inhalation chambers to a pre-defined concentration for 4 hours. Absence
or presence of compound-related mortality of the animals at one step will determine
the next step. Animals in severe pain or distress should be humanely killed. The starting
concentration is selected from one of four fixed levels corresponding to GHS categories
1-4 for gases, vapours or aerosols. Animals are observed daily for clinical signs
of toxicity for a total of at least 14 days. Animals' body weights should be determined
at least weekly. All the animals should be subjected to gross necropsy.
Published on September 08, 2009Also available in: French
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