Updates on Cefic-LRI projects were presented during the Cefic-LRI Annual Workshop 2021:
During the human health risk assessment session Cefic-LRI funded projects were presented impacting developmental ontology prediction (LRI AIMT5.2), repeated dose toxicity (LRI AIMT10), quantitative AOP for thyroid modulation (LRI EMSG59), and toxicogenomics bioinformatics (LRI C4).
LRI AIMT5.2: The objective of this project was to translate the developmental ontology for neural tube closure, which was constructed in the LRI AIMT-5 project, into a computational model for predictive toxicology of neural tube defects. This represents an important step towards designing computational solutions to chemical hazard and risk assessment with less reliance on animal testing. The principle investigator of this project is Dr Aldert Piersma, from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), in the Netherlands.
LRI AIMT10: The aim of this study was to develop and test a repeated dose toxicity ontology model for liver risk assessment based on repeat dose toxicity. An ontological framework was developed incorporating an Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) network for major chemical-induced liver pathologies in compliance with OECD guidance. The applicability was assessed of the established in vitro and in silico methods to feed the ontology model for predictive tox use. The principle investigator of the project was Prof. Mathieu Vinken from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the results were presented by Mrs. Emma Arnesdotter from the VUB, Belgium.
LRI EMSG59: The aim of this study was to develop quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathways for liver-mediated thyroid modulation after prenatal exposure to a xenobiotic compound in the rat. The molecular responses and physiological changes were investigated in the liver-thyroid area after prenatal exposure to endocrine active compounds. This project will lay the groundwork for extrapolation to humans. The principle investigator of this project is Dr Aldert Piersma, from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), in the Netherlands.
LRI C4: The aim of this study was to propose for the regulatory community an omics data analysis framework (R-ODAF) for the main transcriptomics platform available on the market being microarrays, RNA-sequencing or TempO-seq sequencing technologies. Together with ECETOC, LRI started to develop a regulatory Omics Data Analysis Framework (R-ODAF), using transcriptomics platforms to generate, analyse and harmonise data enhancing regulatory uptake. The principle investigator of this project is Dr Florian Caiment from the Maastricht University (UM) in the Netherlands.
During the exposure assessment session Cefic-LRI-funded projects were presented impacting scientific and regulatory risk management (LRI -B15.3), consumer dust exposures (LRI B12.3-5), and worker exposure data extrapolation (LRI B19.2).
LRI -B15.3. The main goal of this study was to develop a well-designed and user-friendly tool with up-to-date information that is supportive to industry for a wide range of Risk Management Measure (RMM) applications and understanding respective RMM efficiencies. The key objectives were twofold: (1) to develop a web-based user-friendly and stable database structure with functionalities that are suitable to search for relevant information on RMM, and (2) to populate the library with up-to-date information on RMM for both occupational and environmental settings. The principle investigator of this project is Dr Wouter Fransman from TNO, in the Netherlands.
LRI B12.3-5. This study assessed the relevance of the dust contribution in consumer exposure to substances from consumer products and articles. A Modular Mechanistic Framework was developed for assessing human exposure to indoor SVOC chemicals and experimentally produced emission factors from PVC materials with known plasticizer concentrations. The principle investigator of this project is Prof. John Little from Virginia Tech (VT) located in the United States.
LRI B19.2. This project developed a theoretical framework for read-across allowing users to extrapolate exposure data from a source dataset with known measured exposure determinants to a target situation where data is lacking. The current project concerns the refinement of the previous established framework. The principle investigator of this project is Dr Wouter Fransman from TNO, in the Netherlands.
During the environmental risk assessment session Cefic-LRI-funded projects were presented impacting UVCB toxicity testing (LRI ECO42), bioaccumulation assessment tools (LRI ECO40.2), improved aquatic testing (LRI ECO48), fate and transportation of microplastics in aquatic systems (LRI ECO48) and the use of ecosystem services (LRI ECO45).
LRI ECO40.2: In this study a validated test protocol for the use of Hyalella Azteca as alternative species to fish for bioaccumulation assessment in aquatic BCF studies was developed and tested in an inter-lab comparison (‘ring-test’). This test supports the switching of current BCF/BMF tests making it simpler, more cost-effective and less animal intense. This new test is brought at OECD TG level. The principle investigator of this project is Prof. Dr Christian Schlechtriem of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology in Germany.
LRI ECO42: his project developed new approaches for fate-directed ecotoxicity assessment of UVCBs based on new combinations of analytical methods, dosing methods, fate directed fractionation, toxicity testing and models. The principle investigator of this project is Prof. Philipp Mayer, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in Denmark.
LRI ECO44.2: This study advanced the dissemination and application of the novel and highly valuable TK and B assessment data sources provided by the LRI ECO44 the previous project. During ECO44.2 an on-line platform is developed providing free, user-friendly access to the new in vitro and in vivo TK data and field bioaccumulation data for mammals. In addition, new software is developed to predict for biotransformation. The principle investigator of this project is Dr Jon Arnot of the ARC Arnot Research & Consulting Inc, in the US.
LRI ECO45: In standard environmental regulatory testing, e.g. in REACH, the predefined endpoints like fish, Daphnia, or Algae do not evaluate the impact assessment of the ecosystem altogether. This project evaluated the practical applicability of an ecosystem services approach to prospective and retrospective chemical risk assessment. The principle investigator of this project is Prof. L.Maltby (U.Sheffield) in the UK, and was presented by Prof. Paul van den Brinck of the Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
LRI ECO46: This project supported the challenging development of methods to allow accurate and precise aquatic environmental risk assessment of cationic polymers. Advanced approaches for interpreting data from testing of cationic polymers were developed facilitating the attainment of regulatory data requirements. The principle investigator of this project is Dr Hans Sanderson of the Aarhus University in Denmark.
LRI ECO48: This study developed a robust and flexible fate and transport modelling framework for microplastics in an aquatic environment. This new framework is an open source generic regional scale river model and is integrated into the existing open-source global-scale multimedia contaminant fate model (BETR Global). The principle investigator of this project is Prof Matt Mcleod, and the project was presented by his colleague Dr Prado Domercq of the Stockholm University in Sweden.
