Is Pentasodium Pentetate safe in cosmetics?
Pentasodium Pentetate has a safety rating of "POOR" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Poor
Cosmetic Ingredient
Pentasodium Pentetate
Also known as: N,N-Bis[2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl]glycine pentasodium salt, Acetic acid, ((carboxymethylimino)bis(ethylenenitrilo))tetra-, pentasodium salt, (((Carboxymethyl)imino)bis(ethylenenitrilo))tetraacetic acid, pentasodium salt, Caswell No. 642B, EINECS 205-391-3 (+4 more)
INCI: PENTASODIUM PENTETATE
Pentasodium Pentetate (CAS 140-01-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Chelating agent; metal ion sequestrant (octadentate; higher stability constants. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 140-01-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Pentasodium Pentetate is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H315, H319, H332, H360D, H361, H373, H360, H371).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Chelating agent; metal ion sequestrant (octadentate; higher stability constants than EDTA for most transition metals)
Safety Rating
POOR
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
pentasodium;2-[bis[2-[bis(carboxylatomethyl)amino]ethyl]amino]acetate
InChIKey
LQPLDXQVILYOOL-UHFFFAOYSA-I
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR (2008): safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations 0.1%-1.0%, including aerosolized products when particle size >10 microns. Not restricted under MoCRA or any federal regulation. No FDA prohibition. Approximately 384 reported uses across product categories at time of CIR review.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Pentasodium Pentetate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EU CLP Annex VI Harmonized Classification
Legally binding harmonized classification per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) Annex VI.
Signal Word
Danger
Pictograms
Health HazardHarmful / Irritant
Hazard Class and Category
Repr. 1B; Acute Tox. 4; STOT RE 2
Hazard Statements
- H360D
- H332 Harmful if inhaled
- H373 (inhalation)
Specific Concentration Limits / M-factors
Repr. 1B; H360D: C ≥ 3.0%; inhalation: ATE = 1.5 mg/L dusts or mists
Inserted via ATP: ATP18
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Hazard classification: Restricted (Annex XVII)
EU CosIng Annex Listing
European Commission CosIng database Annex references per Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
Annex II — Prohibited
Ref: 1721
(EU) 2023/1490
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
SA Saudi SFDA (II - Prohibited)
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | restricted | - | - |
Additional Ingredient Properties
3 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
ecotoxicity
{"biodegradable": "no", "biodegradation_days": "non-biodegradable", "bioaccumulative": "yes", "aquatic_toxicity_level": "moderate", "coral_reef_safe": "unknown", "marine_toxicity": "metal chelation", "freshwater_toxicity": "remobilizes metals", "soil_toxicity": "metal contamination", "endocrine_disruptor": "no", "persistent_organic_pollutant": "yes", "microplastic": "no", "nano_particle": "no", "h…
ph_stability
{"optimal_ph_min": "6.0", "optimal_ph_max": "11.0", "stable_ph_min": "5.5", "stable_ph_max": "12.0", "ph_dependent_function": "Strong chelator", "formulation_note": "Higher pH than EDTA", "source": "Formulation literature"}
uv_stability
{"uv_stable": "yes", "uv_degradation_rate": "stable", "photosensitizer": "no", "phototoxic": "no", "photoallergic": "no", "requires_uv_protection_packaging": "no", "color_change_uv": "no", "odor_change_uv": "no", "efficacy_loss_uv_pct": "0", "spf_contribution": "no", "uva_protection": "no", "uvb_protection": "no", "photostable_sunscreen": "no", "boost_spf_of_others": "no", "antioxidant_under_uv": …
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Chelating agent
Cleaning agent
Thickening agent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Pentasodium Pentetate.
Regulatory Flags
eu-prohibited
cmr-repr-1b
reproductive-toxicant
developmental-toxicant
chelating-agent
eu-annex-ii
not-for-eu-market
Known Synonyms
N,N-Bis[2-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]ethyl]glycine pentasodium salt
Acetic acid, ((carboxymethylimino)bis(ethylenenitrilo))tetra-, pentasodium salt
(((Carboxymethyl)imino)bis(ethylenenitrilo))tetraacetic acid, pentasodium salt
Caswell No. 642B
EINECS 205-391-3
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 039120
Kiresuto P
Pentasodium DTPA
UNII-961TOZ5L7T
Chemical Function
Chelating agent
Thickening agent
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
CEDI
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pentasodium Pentetate allowed in the EU?
Pentasodium Pentetate EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Pentasodium Pentetate do in cosmetics?
Pentasodium Pentetate functions as: Chelating agent; metal ion sequestrant (octadentate; higher stability constants than EDTA for most transition metals). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 140-01-2.
Is Pentasodium Pentetate used outside cosmetics?
Pentasodium Pentetate also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Pentasodium Pentetate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Pentasodium Pentetate is prohibited in EU cosmetics but has active industrial GHS classifications (H315, H319, H332, H360D, H361, H373, H360, H371).
Compliance Tools
Check Pentasodium Pentetate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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