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An International Perspective on the Tools and Concepts for Effluent Toxicity Assessments in the Context of Animal Alternatives: Reduction in vertebrate use
Citation:
Norberg-King, T., M. Embry, S. Belanger, T. Braunbeck, J. Butler, P. Dorn, B. Farr, P. Guiney, S. Hughes, M. Jefferies, R. Journel, M. Lèonard, M. McMaster, J. Oris, K. Ryder, H. Segner, T. Senac, G. Van Der Kraak, G. Whale, AND P. Wilson. An International Perspective on the Tools and Concepts for Effluent Toxicity Assessments in the Context of Animal Alternatives: Reduction in vertebrate use. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 37(11):2745-2757, (2018). https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4259
Impact/Purpose:
A focus topic paper on effluent testing and the use of alternative aquatic toxicity testing methods were reviewed under the approach of the three R's (reduce, refine, replace). Focus was on the current use of whole organism testing, but also had the objectives: assess the state of science in effluent toxicity testing globally; 2) determine current practices of regulators, industry, private laboratories, and academia; and 3) explore animal alternative testing options and the inclusion of modified/new methods and approaches in the regulatory environment. A variety of approaches can be used to achieve the 3Rs (i.e., reduce, refine, and replace) for vertebrate testing of effluents, including developing strategies to reduce the overall number of fish used, incorporate invertebrate and plant tests along with or as surrogates for fish, use alternative test methods (e.g., cell-based assays, biomimetic screenings), add mechanistic in vitro assays as predictors of specific effects (e.g., endocrine disruption, genotoxicity, etc.), or use modeling or other in silico methods to predict toxicity. For chemical hazard assessment a variety of test methods and strategies have begun to be applied, such as the fish embryo test (FET)], endocrine disruption and biomimetic screening methodologies, in vitro assays, and various adverse outcome pathway (AOP)-based approaches.No single approach was identified, due to a range of factors including regulatory concerns, validity criteria, and wider acceptability of alternatives.
Description:
Since the 1940s, effluent toxicity testing has been used to assess potential ecological impacts of effluents and help determine necessary treatment options for environmental protection prior to release. Strategic combinations of toxicity tests, analytical tools, and biological monitoring have been developed. Because the numbers of vertebrates utilized in effluent testing is thought to be much greater than that used for individual chemical testing, there is a new need to develop strategies to reduce the numbers of vertebrates (i.e., fish) utilized. This need will become more critical as developing nations begin to use vertebrates in toxicity tests to assess effluent quality. A workshop was held to 1) assess the state of science in effluent toxicity testing globally; 2) determine current practices of regulators, industry, private laboratories, and academia; and 3) explore animal alternative testing options and the inclusion of modified/new methods and approaches in the regulatory environment. No single approach was identified, due to a range of factors including regulatory concerns, validity criteria, and wider acceptability of alternatives. However, a suite of strategies in a weight-of-evidence approach would provide the flexibility to meet the needs of the environment, regulators, and the regulated community, and this “toolbox” approach would also support reduced reliance on in vivo fish tests. This paper provides a brief overview of wastewater regulation and effluent testing approaches. Alternative methodologies under development and some of the limitations and barriers to regulatory of approaches that can be selected to suit individual country and regional requirements are described and discussed.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: An International Perspective on the Tools and Concepts for Effluent Toxicity Assessments in the Context of Animal Alternatives: Reduction in vertebrate use