Activity-Based Relationships for Aquatic Ecotoxicology Data: Use of the Activity Approach to Strengthen MoA Predictions

Environmental Sciences Manager: Malyka Galay Burgos

Administrative Assistant Sonia Pulinckx

Background

Two ECETOC Task Forces on the risk assessment of PBTs have produced recommendations to enable the risk assessment of materials of high concern under REACH and other regulatory programs. In the first task force, one key approach for development of a more robust “PNEC' was identified as the application of critical body burden (CBB) in higher tier risk assessment and food chain assessment. The second task force was convened to provide a case study using the CBB approach. The final output for this group was a weight of evidence approach to identifying mode of action for organic chemicals, a critical piece necessary for the use of the CBB approach. In 2008, a PBT Workshop was held to identify priority programs for ECETOC to further advance PBT risk assessment methodology. This project is one of the proposed outputs of that workshop.

Objectives

The main objective of the task force is to report on the use of CBB in risk assessment and identify opportunities for its application for SVHCs. It is intended that this would result in recommendations for developing relevant data for ERA as well as further research needed in this area. Furthermore, either a peer-reviewed publication or an ECETOC report in addition to a targeted LRI project is anticipated.