Baby Safety / Compounds / Chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate)

Is Chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate) safe for babies and kids?

High risk for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) GHS Danger classification. Carcinogenicity concern during pregnancy.

What is chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate)?

The IUPAC name is trimagnesium;bis(hydroxy(trioxido)silane);hydrate.

Also known as: trimagnesium;bis(hydroxy(trioxido)silane);hydrate, Chrysotile A, Metaxite, Sylodex.

IUPAC name
trimagnesium;bis(hydroxy(trioxido)silane);hydrate
CAS number
12001-29-5
Molecular formula
H4Mg3O9Si2
Molecular weight
277.11 g/mol
SMILES
O.[Mg++].[Mg++].[Mg++].O[Si]([O-])([O-])[O-].O[Si]([O-])([O-])[O-]
PubChem CID
25477

Risk for babies

High risk

GHS Danger classification. Carcinogenicity concern during pregnancy.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

High risk

GHS Danger classification. Carcinogenicity concern during pregnancy.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / NTP RoC—Known Human Carcinogen
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 1 - Carcinogenic to humans
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 2 positive / 2 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 2 positive / 2 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate)

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate):

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 2-5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate)?

Chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate) appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Waste treatment sites (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate)?

Chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate) has been classified by 4 agencies including EPA CTX / NTP RoC, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate) in the baby app

Look up products containing chrysotile fiber (hydrated magnesium silicate), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 25477 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID0030742 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 12001-29-5 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →