Regulatory agencies primarily rely on toxicological science to identify potential hazards, prioritise chemicals and other potentially toxic substances, and provide the data for assessing risk. However, advances in analytical techniques and increased understanding of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) have led to significant changes in the recommended approaches to chemical safety assessment, emphasising the importance of the mechanism and mode of action.
Exogenous chemicals capable of perturbing endogenous endocrine function have been termed endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Defined as exogenous substances that alter function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently cause adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, or (sub) populations, there is currently one accepted regulatory guidance document for the identification of potential endocrine disrupting substances from European Chemicals Agency and the European Food Safety Authority. wca are experts in weight-of-evidence evaluations of potential endocrine disruption, providing detailed reports and technical advocacy in response to regulatory concerns.
Examples of projects
- Evaluation of the mechanism and mode of a non-steroidal selective-nuclear receptor-modulator for a pharmaceutical company
- Weight of Evidence assessment of the endocrine disrupting properties of UV filters in consumer products
- Toxicological review and data gap assessment of complex inorganic pigments
- QSAR of leachables and extractables
- Comparison of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid (HPT) axis across mammalian and ecological test species
- Study design, monitoring and interpretation of skin sensitisation studies in line with the OECD Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) for sensitisation
- Read-across justification in line with Read-across Assessment Framework (RAAF)
- Evaluation of genotoxicity (non-threshold and threshold)
- Endocrine disruption reviews for biocides and plant protection products in line with EFSA/ECHA guidance
- Application of Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) in the Mode of Action (MoA) assessment of endocrine disrupting chemicals