Towards a generic model for toxicology

Environmental risk assessment for potentially toxic chemicals is an increasingly difficult task in the face of new regulations, demands for greater accuracy and ethical considerations. Modelling the behaviour of potentially toxic compounds could address these issues, but the models need to be more accurate before they can be widely used.

The EU-funded MEMOCTR project endeavoured to improve the parameters for these toxic behaviour models. Specifically, they used metal toxicity in marine animals to enhance accuracy and broaden applicability.

Researchers gathered data on metal toxicity from marine animals such as the rainbow trout and the pond snail. They related this data to various physical characteristics of the organisms so as to make existing models suited to a wider range of species.

They found that acute toxicity in animals was directly linked to a property of chemicals called the covalent index. Another major finding was that metal toxicity (copper and silver in this case) is closely linked to species weight. Using this data, MEMOCTR developed refined models for copper and silver toxicity.

Metal toxicity has also been linked to loss of sodium. Survival rates of organisms have been linked to total loss of sodium, but further work is required to incorporate this information into models.

Predicting toxicity in animals is a complex and daunting task, but MEMOCTR has taken steps to change this. Soon, toxicokinetic/toxicodynamic models will be sophisticated enough to do away with expensive and unethical animal testing and to streamline environmental risk assessments.