The 28 July 2015 saw the OECD updating existing or publishing new health effect test guidelines. In total 15 guidelines were revised or new guidelines published for the testing of chemicals, Section 4.

These included:

Acute endpoints:

• OECD 404 – Acute Dermal Irritation/Corrosion (update)

Irritation / corrosion endpoints:

• OECD 435 –  In Vitro Membrane Barrier Test Method for Skin Corrosion (update)
• OECD 431 – In vitro skin corrosion: reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) test method (update)
• OECD 430 – In Vitro Skin Corrosion: Transcutaneous Electrical Resistance Test Method (TER) (update) OECD 492 – Reconstructed human Cornea-like Epithelium (RhCE) test method for identifying chemicals not requiring classification and labelling for eye irritation or serious eye damage (new)
• OECD 490 – Short Time Exposure In Vitro Test Method for Identifying i) Chemicals Inducing Serious Eye Damage and ii) Chemicals Not Requiring Classification for Eye Irritation or Serious Eye Damage (new)
• OECD 439 – In Vitro Skin Irritation: Reconstructed Human Epidermis Test Method (update)

Genotoxicity:

• OECD 483 – Mammalian Spermatogonial Chromosomal Aberration Test (update)
• OECD 476 – In Vitro Mammalian Cell Gene Mutation Tests using the Hprt and xprt genes (update and removal of the MLA tk version)
• OECD 478 – Rodent Dominant Lethal Test (update)
• OECD 490 – In Vitro Mammalian Cell Gene Mutation Tests Using the Thymidine Kinase (new)

Endocrine:

• OECD 455 – Performance-Based Test Guideline for Stably Transfected Transactivation In Vitro Assays to Detect Estrogen Receptor Agonists and Antagonists (new draft guideline)
• OECD 493 – Performance-Based Test Guideline for Human Recombinant Estrogen Receptor (hrER) In Vitro Assays to Detect Chemicals with ER Binding (new)

Reproductive / developmental:

• OECD 422 – Combined Repeated Dose Toxicity Study with the Reproduction/Developmental Toxicity Screening Test (update)
• OECD 421 – Reproduction/Developmental Toxicity Screening Test (update)

The revised test guidelines can be viewed on the OECD website (http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/oecd-guidelines-for-the-testing-of-chemicals-section-4-health-effects_20745788).

For information on how this may impact on your business, or further information on the registration of plant protection products, biocides or general chemicals, contact JSC on  +44 (0)1423 520245, enquiries@jsci.co.uk