SHEET /m/glycolic-acid · PubChem CID 757 · CAS 79-14-1 · REV 2026.07
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Glycolic acid from source
C2H4O3 · 76.05 g/mol
2-Hydroxyacetic acid · hydroxyacetic acid · Hydroxyethanoic acid · Glycollic acid
chemical compound
CategoryEveryday chemistry
Fig. 1 · 2D structure RDKit
C(C(=O)O)O
Where you'll find it
Not yet mapped to everyday foods or products.
The dose makes the poison inferred
A reported guinea pig oral LD50 for Glycolic acid is 1,920 mg/kg, the dose lethal to half the animals tested. Scaled by body mass alone:
134.4 g
a median lethal dose scaled to 154 lb (134,400 mg)
“The dose makes the poison” is a cross-species estimate shown as neutral science, not a threshold anyone should act on. Real toxicity depends on the person, not body mass alone.
Toxicity & hazards
Toxicity · LD50
1,920 mg/kg · low toxicity · LD50 guinea pig oral from source
The dose lens above scales this to a body weight.
3 more reported values
- 1,950 mg/kgLD50 · oral · rat
- 4,240 mg/kgLD50 · oral · rat
- 1,000 mg/kgLD50 · iv · cat
DangerCorrosiveIrritantHealth hazardH302, H314, H318, H332, H333, H361, H370, H373, H402from source
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