3R relevant OECD Test Guidelines and updates released

On June 25, OECD adopted a set of new and updated Test Guidelines for chemicals safety testing.

Those include two new Test Guidelines on in vitro methods for fish hepatic clearance, TG 319A and TG 319B that can be used to improve in silico predictions of the test chemical bioaccumulation in fish.

Important updates to existing Test Guidelines encompass the inclusion of endocrine-related endpoints in TG 408 (90-d repeated dose toxicity study) and TG 414 (Developmental toxicity study); also Test Guidelines in the area of eye irritation and skin sensitisation have been revised to either improve predictivity of the existing method (TG 438, isolated chicken eye method) or include similar methods to those already existing (me-too methods in TG 442B, TG 442D, TG 492) ensuring more readily usable practical matter by members and Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) adhering countries.

A few other Test Guidelines have been slightly amended as well and can be accessed from the sections mentioned below:

• Section 1: Physical Chemical Properties
• Section 2: Effects on Biotic Systems  (Software for TG 223)
• Section 3: Environmental Fate and Behaviour* (Softwares for TG 305 and TG 318)
• Section 4: Health Effects  (Software for TG 455, TG 432 and TG 425)
• Section 5: Other Test Guidelines

A set of supporting documents and Guidance Documents associated to these Test Guidelines will soon be published.

http://www.oecd.org/chemicalsafety/testing/oecdguidelinesforthetestingofchemicals.htm