Utility of the avian sub-acute dietary toxicity test in ecological risk assessment and a path forward to reduce animal use.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has long required both avian sub-acute dietary and acute oral studies to inform risk assessments for pesticides. Recently, the USEPA collaborated with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to determine whether the results of the acute oral avian toxicity test or the sub-acute dietary toxicity test consistently generated the greatest risk predictions in USEPA tier 1 assessments for pesticides first registered between 1998 and 2017. Their study concluded that in 99% of the cases, risk conclusions were driven by the acute oral study (OPPTS 850.

An ecological risk assessment for triclosan in lotic systems following discharge from wastewater treatment plants in the United States.

A modeling study was conducted to examine the distribution of concentrations of the antimicrobial triclosan (2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether) in rivers following discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Most uses of triclosan are disposed of down residential drains and ultimately reach WWTPs. A modeling analysis was conducted to simulate the discharge of triclosan in WWTP effluents to rivers and calculate the expected concentrations based on characteristics of the reach where the discharge occurred, the estimated concentration of triclosan in the WWTP effluent, and the physicochemical properties of triclosan.