Are current regulatory log K cut-off values fit-for-purpose as a screening tool for bioaccumulation potential in aquatic organisms?

Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) and very Persistent and very Bioaccumulative (vPvB) are regulatory hazard categories that have been set to manage the possible risks to humans and the environment from these chemicals. In industrial chemicals regulations, their aquatic Bioaccumulation potential is usually assessed first with a screening based on the octanol/water partition coefficient (K). However, current log K cut-off values triggering classification, categorisation and/or further fish bioconcentration testing are not harmonised worldwide, and they have never been assessed for their regulatory relevance.

Accumulation dynamics and acute toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Daphnia magna and Lumbriculus variegatus: implications for metal modeling approaches.

Frameworks commonly used in trace metal ecotoxicology (e.g., biotic ligand model (BLM) and tissue residue approach (TRA)) are based on the established link between uptake, accumulation and toxicity, but similar relationships remain unverified for metal-containing nanoparticles (NPs).

The toxicity, transport and uptake of nanoparticles in the in vitro BeWo b30 placental cell barrier model used within NanoTEST.

Despite the rapid ongoing expansion in the use of nanomaterials, we still know little about their biological interaction and biodistribution within the human body. If medically relevant nanoparticles can cross specific cell barriers they may disseminate through the body beyond the original target and may reach particularly sensitive areas such as the foetus. This study utilised an in vitro barrier model of the placenta to explore toxicity, uptake and transport of iron oxide and silica nanoparticles.