Use of QSARs in International Decision-Making Frameworks to Predict Ecologic Effects and Environmental Fate of Chemical Substances

• Published in: Environmental health perspectives Vol. 111; no. 10; pp. 1376 - 1390
• Main Authors: Mark T. D. Cronin, Walker, John D., Jaworska, Joanna S., Michael H. I. Comber, Watts, Christopher D., Worth, Andrew P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. National Institutes of Health. Department of Health, Education and Welfare 01.08.2003; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Subjects: Biodegradation; Chemical ecology; Chemical hazards; Chemicals; Computer software industry; Crawford, John Richard; Decision Making, Organizational; Ecological risk assessment; Ecosystem; Environmental agencies; Environmental Exposure; Environmental fate; Environmental Pollutants; Estimation methods; European Union; Expert Systems; Government Regulation; Humans; International Cooperation; Mini-Monograph: Regulatory Acceptance of (Q)SARs; Protein Binding; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Toxins; United States; United States
• ISSN: 0091-6765; 1552-9924
• DOI: 10.1289/ehp.5759

This article is a review of the use, by regulatory agencies and authorities, of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) to predict ecologic effects and environmental fate of chemicals. For many years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been the most prominent regulatory agency using QSARs to predict the ecologic effects and environmental fate of chemicals. However, as increasing numbers of standard QSAR methods are developed and validated to predict ecologic effects and environmental fate of chemicals, it is anticipated that more regulatory agencies and authorities will find them to be acceptable alternatives to chemical testing.