Polyethylene glycol PEG-300 has been assessed by international toxicology as an actually non-toxic substance. Verified by extensive animal experiments: the acute oral LD50 in rats is greater than 20 g/kg, and the dermal LD50 in rabbits is also greater than 20 g/kg, classifying it as non-toxic. It is non-irritating to the skin, non-sensitizing, and multiple in vivo and in vitro genotoxicity tests have yielded negative results, with no carcinogenicity or reproductive/developmental toxicity. It may only cause mild, transient irritation to the eyes, and the risk of inhalation is negligible under normal operating conditions.
In daily use or industrial operations, as long as basic safety practices are followed (such as wearing protective gloves and goggles, and avoiding prolonged direct contact), PEG-300 poses almost no threat to human health. Even in case of accidental skin contact, rinse with water and soap; if accidentally ingested, the substance has very low toxicity, but it is still recommended to rinse the mouth and seek medical observation.
PEG-300 also exhibits low-risk characteristics for the ecological environment. Aquatic toxicity data show: fish 96-hour LC50 > 1000 mg/L, daphnia 48-hour EC50 > 500 mg/L, algae 72-hour EC50 > 100 mg/L, all falling into the category of practically non-toxic or low toxicity to aquatic organisms. More importantly, this substance meets OECD criteria for ready biodegradability and is classified as easily biodegradable, meaning it will not persist in the natural environment.
PEG-300 has an extremely low octanol/water partition coefficient, does not have bioaccumulation or biomagnification potential, and will not accumulate in organisms through the food chain. At typical industrial discharge concentrations, it will not inhibit the microbial activity of wastewater treatment systems. Overall, PEG-300 is an environmentally friendly chemical raw material.
| Assessment item | Test result | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Acute oral toxicity (rat) | LD50 > 20 g/kg | Actually non-toxic |
| Acute dermal toxicity (rabbit) | LD50 > 20 g/kg | Very low dermal toxicity |
| Skin irritation | Non-irritating | Safe |
| Eye irritation | Mild, transient irritation | Mild irritant |
| Skin sensitization | Non-sensitizing | Safe |
| Genotoxicity | Negative in multiple tests | No genotoxicity |
| Carcinogenicity | Not classified as carcinogenic by IARC, etc. | Non-carcinogenic |
| Reproductive toxicity | No adverse effects in animal studies | No reproductive/developmental toxicity |
| Fish acute toxicity (96h LC50) | > 1000 mg/L | Practically non-toxic to fish |
| Daphnia acute toxicity (48h EC50) | > 500 mg/L | Low toxicity |
| Algal growth inhibition (72h EC50) | > 100 mg/L | Low toxicity to algae |
| Biodegradability | Meets OECD criteria for ready biodegradability | Easily biodegradable |
| Bioaccumulation potential | Very low log Kow | No bioaccumulation |
Based on the above toxicological and ecotoxicological data, PEG-300 can be safely used in the following fields: