Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Iodate

Abstract

Sodium Iodate is an inorganic salt that is intended for use as an oxidizing agent in cosmetics, but no current uses have been reported. It is approved by the European Union for use as a preservative in rinse-off cosmetic products at concentrations no greater than 0.1%. Pure Sodium Iodate is a sufficiently strong oxidizing agent that it presents a fire risk near organic material, and it can react violently with aluminum, arsenic, carbon, copper, hydrogen peroxide, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, and metal sulfides. Sodium Iodate is toxic to the retina; injection of 10-4 M Sodium Iodate into the vitreous of rabbit eyes inactivated the electroretinogram in 1 day. Acute toxicity studies in mice show that concentrations of 505 mg/kg delivered orally is expected to cause convulsions and death in half the animals. No mutagenic activity was seen in Ames tests. Exposure of repair proficient strains of Escherichia coli to ionizing radiation and Sodium Iodate increased the number of DNA single-strand breaks over those seen with exposure to ionizing radiation alone. Sodium Iodate combined with aflatoxin B1 showed fewer mutations in the Ames test than did aflatoxin alone. These available data were not sufficient to support the safety of Sodium Iodate for use in cosmetic formulations. Additional data were considered necessary to evaluate the safety of this ingredient, including the purpose of use and likely concentration of use in cosmetics; 28-day dermal toxicity data; and animal irritation data as a function of dose. It cannot be concluded that this ingredient is safe for use in cosmetic products until the listed safety data have been obtained and evaluated.