Products

Why the need –Environmental

Government regulatory agencies use in vivo animal studies and in vitro tissue culture based testing to determine safe levels of chemical exposure.  There is a driving force to minimize animal testing and prioritize in vitro testing for toxicity assessments.  Within these organizations, outcomes of human exposure testing support the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in establishing lower exposure limits (LEL), upper exposure limits (UEL), recommended exposure limits (REL), and Occupational Safety and Health permissible exposure limits (PEL).

Why the need –Agriculture

Agro-chemical companies develop compounds that are inherently toxic for insect, fungus and weed control, with over 350,000 registered in the US.  These compounds end up in the food chain as well as the environment.  The Food Quality Protection Act (1996) mandates toxicity testing on new compounds, with a focus on infants and children.   Toxicity is determined by short-term testing, at single high does in laboratory animals, and does not take into consideration repeated, long-term exposure.