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It has been a while, but if you recall in the previous (and first) blog in this series, we gave the potted history of the main TTC benchmarks that can used to assess an untested chemical. For any exuding a structural suspicion of genotoxicity, the…

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You cannot turn the page of a newspaper these days without catching the latest worrying headline regarding the next thing that’s bad for you (which often conflicts with the previous day’s dire warnings!) – drink coffee / don’t touch caffeine, enjoy a glass of wine…

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Neurodevelopmental disorders in children have increased significantly in recent years (according to the European Joint Research Centre), which adds urgency to the need to evaluate new and existing chemicals for their potential activity in this area. This is difficult when the existing OECD DNT study,…

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A wide spectrum of risk assessors are enamoured of the TTC, which essentially uses a knowledge of the toxicological properties of the universe of tested chemicals to make conservative predictions of the likely toxicity of untested materials. It gives them pragmatic respite from the onward…

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The effects of vaping on public health remains a newsworthy and interesting topic of discussion, with a range of views and opinions. Public Health England (PHE) is committed to reviewing the evidence regarding e-cigarette use and the effects of vaping on consumer health. PHE has…

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Hormonal disruption is a hot topic these days. Following 2016 draft EU legislation setting scientific criteria for identifying EDs (under plant protection and biocidal products Regulations), EFSA and ECHA have issued a draft guidance document on this subject. It includes advice on how to gather,…

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Establishing whether or not a substance is genotoxic is critical in risk assessment, as it determines whether the substance can be assessed as a threshold or non-threshold toxin. The OECD Test Guidelines (TGs) on genetic toxicology are considered the “gold standard” on how the favoured…

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Following on from our last blog about ECHA-instigated updates to REACH registration dossiers (e.g. following an ECHA Evaluation (draft) decision), it’s worth taking a look at the update process more generally: Why are updates so important and how should we go about actioning them? A…

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Feeling a bit itchy? Skin sensitisation from fragrance ingredients in cosmetics, personal care products and household goods is relatively common and causes considerable concern for fragrance manufacturers and regulators. The QRA2 model, developed by the International Fragrance Association as part of the International Dialogue for…

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With Halloween behind us and Christmas on the horizon, many of us have succumbed to the high street’s festive-themed homeware; including decorated drinking glasses. The University of Plymouth recently released the results of a study testing new and second-hand glasses with decorative enamel for the…

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