Optimized strategies for risk assessment of industrial chemicals through integration of non-test and test information (OSIRIS)

OSIRIS (Optimized Strategies for Risk Assessment of Chemicals based on Intelligent Testing) develops integrated testing strategies (ITS) which can be used for the European Union regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) to significantly increase the use of non-testing information for risk assessment of industrial chemicals and regulatory decision making. This includes alternative methods such as chemical and biological read-across, in vitro results, in vivo information on analogues, qualitative and quantitative structure activity relationships, thresholds of toxicological concern and exposure-based waiving. Furthermore, OSIRIS takes into account cost-benefit analyses, and it aims to close the gap between risk and societal risk perception.

Modeling and experimental work is undertaken to predict environmental phase partitioning and  degradation rates as well as microbiologically mediated metabolic pathways from molecular structure which eventually feed non-testing methods to evaluate human and environmental toxicity through development of site-specific molecular reactivity descriptors. ECT is involved in experimental work addressing biodegradation and soil sorption as fate-related processes where current prediction methods show particular shortcomings. ECT develops a screening method for testing degradation of chemicals in soil which takes into account the experiences gained with OECD guideline 307 for aerobic and anaerobic transformation in soil, but is less laborious and time consuming than this guideline test.