In November 2018, an EU workshop on non-chemical alternatives for rodent control was held in Brussels. The overall goal was to take the next step into the direction of rodent control with less risks for the environment and human health. During the workshop, it became evident that rodent traps are already viable alternatives to rodenticides in professional rodent control. However, the lack of criteria for their assessment is hindering the establishment of traps as a first choice control measure and their recognition as non-chemical alternatives within the comparative assessment for (anticoagulant) rodenticides under the EU Biocides Legislation. It was thus decided to initiate a working party. Its tasks should be to define criteria for the assessment and certification of traps and to draft a testing guideline. A broader range of experts is expected to discuss a draft testing guidelines in a follow-up workshop in 2020. Veröffentlicht in Dokumentationen.
OECD Test Guidelines (TG) are internationally standardized methods for testing chemicals. Industry, academia and authorities use the data collected with these methods for the evaluation of chemicals (such as industrial chemicals) with regard to their hazards to humans and the environment. Therefore, it is necessary that the TGs be continuously expanded and updated to reflect the state of the art in science and technology. However, a regular review of the OECD TGs has not been provided for in the current procedure so far. The aim of the present project was therefore to identify the OECD TGs that do not currently correspond to the state of the art in science and technology. For this purpose, only the OECD TGs that are used for the assessment of effects on the environment were considered. Based on a detailed questionnaire, a comprehensive survey was conducted to identify the need for revision. Proposals for revising TGs were evaluated in a second survey. Both surveys were open to all interested parties from industry, academia, contract laboratories, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government agencies. After completion of the surveys, the results were discussed in three thematic workshops. Recommendations for the revision of the OECD TGs were developed and prioritized, which were finally presented to the members of the Working Party of National Coordinators for the OECD Test Guidelines Programme (WNT). Veröffentlicht in Texte | 72/2023.
The project goal was to support the regulatory acceptance of data generated with the OECD Acute Fish Embryo Toxicity Test (TG 236) as alternative method to the OECD Acute Fish Toxicity Test (TG 203). TG 236 is an important contribution to animal welfare in chemical safety assessment in Europe but also worldwide. Results of the project are directly used within OECD project 2.54 on the Development of a Guidance Document for an Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment of Acute Fish Toxicity. Specific results: (1) the knowledge on xenobiotic transformation capacities in zebrafish embryos, juveniles and adults is fragmentary. Therefore, transfer of biotransformation data from juvenile fish to adult fish does not appear justified. (2) The chorion is no barrier for uncharged industrial chemicals of a molecular size of 3,000 – 4,000 Da. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 94/2020.
The focus of this report is the determination, fate and behaviour of nanoscaled Titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the environment. Nanoscaled TiO2 is an industrial product being used in various applications such as sunscreens, coatings and paints which make a release into the environment likely. To be able to assess possible impacts of nanomaterials like TiO2 corresponding test procedures, here specifically OECD test guidelines were tested for the applicability and the results obtained interpreted. More specifically the OECD test guidelines OECD 303A – Laboratory Sewage Treatment Plants, OECD 312 – Leaching in Soil Columns and OECD 106 – Adsorption / Desorption in Soils were tested. Three different types of Titanium dioxide materials uncoated (P25 and PC105) and hydrophic coated (UV Titan 262) were investigated to also derive information on possible influences of coating on the environmental behaviour. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 25/2012.
Plant protection products, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, biocides and other chemicals can reach surface waters during their life cycles, by direct or diffuse entry routes or because they are in completely removed during waste water treatment. These chemicals may have harmful consequences for environmental organisms and also constitute a risk for raw water contamination for drinking water production. It is therefore crucial to assess persistence of chemicals in laboratory experiments. To characterize persistence in surface waters two test guidelines are relevant: OECD Test Guideline 308 ("Aerobic and Anaerobic Transformation in Aquatic Sediment Systems"), which aims to derive information on biotransformation at a water-sediment interface, and OECD Test Guideline 309 ("Aerobic mineralization in surface water - Simulation biodegradation test"), which measures biotransformation in a pelagic water body. The aim of the project was to be better able to separate characterizing biotransformation from the process of sorption. For this purpose, modified test designs and alternative evaluation of kinetic data were explored. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 06/2023.
Reproduction tests with molluscs – new OECD test guideline developed and validated Although molluscs respond particularly sensitive to many pollutants, no standard tests with representatives of this species-rich phylum was established for routine chemical testing in Europe so far. A standardized OECD partial life-cycle test method (No. 242) with the mud snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum was developed and validated in a research project sponsored by UBA . Several ring trials have been performed by international experts and laboratories, managed by eco-toxicologists from the Goethe University Frankfurt (Main). The project results prove the test system as sensitive, robust, and meaningful for the investigation of reproductive effects in molluscs. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 34/2017.
The spread of veterinary medicinal products (VMP) and biocides onto agriculturally used areas repre-sents a very important path of entry into the environment for these product groups. For this reason, current guidance (e.g. „Guideline on determining the fate of veterinary medicinal products in ma-nure“ (EMA/CVMP/ERA/430327/2009) (EMA, 2011) stipulates experimental studies on transfor-mation of VMPs and biocides in manure. Though, the documents only contain basic regulatory re-quirements, whereas an experimental test guideline is still missing, both on EU and OECD level. To allow for a consistent assessment of studies within the registration process, a harmonized interna-tionally accepted and validated test method is needed. A draft test guideline was developed within a previous R&D-Project “Development of test guidance for transformation of veterinary pharmaceuticals and biocides in liquid manure” (Hennecke et al., 2015). The experimental method was examined and revised by an intra-laboratory comparisons as well as an international inter-laboratory comparison (pre-validation ring test). In the present project, an international ring test has been performed and evaluated testing a veteri-nary medicinal product (florfenicol) in pig manure and a biocide (imidacloprid) in cattle manure. Moreover, two international workshops were organized; one at the beginning in connection with pre-ceding project (Hennecke et al., 2015) and one at the end of the project to discuss and evaluate the ring test. Based on the experimental results of the ring test as well as discussions and conclusions of both workshops, a revised draft test guideline was prepared. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 80/2016.
The report describes the scientific background and motivation to develop an OECD Guidance Document on the determination on dissolution and dispersion stability of nanomaterials in the environment. It presents the process and approach to develop the GD and summarizes its relevance for risk assessment and regulation of nanomaterials. The “OECD Guidance Document No. 318 for the testing of dissolution and dispersion stability of nanomaterials, and the use of the data for further environmental testing and assessment strategies" is available at the webpages of the OECD Test Guideline Programme. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 176/2020.
Based on the variety of existing nanomaterials with numerous modifications, the effort of investigating environmental fate and effects will be tremendous. Hence, it will be necessary to group nanomaterials which feature similar environmental fate and effects. Therefore, the project objective was to correlate physical-chemical data with ecotoxicological effects for selected nanomaterials and to define reference values which can serve as a basis for grouping. The report presents the development of concepts for grouping of nanomaterials with regard to their ecotoxicological effects with focus on aquatic ecotoxicity. The project was structured into five steps. First, fourteen nanomaterials were selected according to pre-defined criteria. The selected NMs were different subtypes of Ag, ZnO, TiO2, CeO2 and Cu. In a second step, their physico-chemical properties were determined in water and in all test media. Based on the results hypotheses regarding the expected ecotoxicity were formulated (third step). In a fourth step, the hypotheses were verified by testing the selected NMs in three ecotoxicological tests (acute aquatic toxicity with algae, daphnia and fish embryo according to the OECD Test Guidelines No. 201, 202 and 236). Finally, step five consisted of the compilation of a grouping concept based on nanomaterials physico-chemical parameters which were identified as relevant for the emergence of a toxic effect in aquatic organisms. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 102/2017.
The report describes the considerations, essential steps and organisational aspects of the development of the OECD Test Guideline for the determination of particle size and particle size distributions of nanomaterials. It gives furthermore insights into the selection, preparation and pre-validation of test materials used in an interlaboratory comparison and presents the results of this international laboratory comparison tests and their impact on the final version of the OECD Test Guideline. Upon adoption at OECD level, the Test Guideline for the determination of particle size and particle size distributions of nanomaterials will be available at the webpages of the OECD Test Guideline Programme. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 161/2021.