Primary cultures of rabbit corneal epithelial cells as an experimental model to evaluate ocular toxicity and explore modes of action of toxic injury.

In vivo and in vitro animal models are used to investigate the toxicological modes of action of a substance as surrogates for humans since it is not ethical to conduct certain experiments in humans. The toxic actions of many compounds are manifested in specific organs, known as target organs of toxicity. Thus, in vitro systems that use cells derived from that target organ are best used to understand toxicological mechanisms.

Approaches for describing and communicating overall uncertainty in toxicity characterizations: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) as a case study.

Single point estimates of human health hazard/toxicity values such as a reference dose (RfD) are generally used in chemical hazard and risk assessment programs for assessing potential risks associated with site- or use-specific exposures. The resulting point estimates are often used by risk managers for regulatory decision-making, including standard setting, determination of emission controls, and mitigation of exposures to chemical substances. Risk managers, as well as stakeholders (interested and affected parties), often have limited information regarding assumptions and uncertainty factors in numerical estimates of both hazards and risks.

Assessment of chronic inhalation non-cancer toxicity for diethylamine.

A non-cancer inhalation chronic toxicity assessment for diethylamine (DEA, CAS number 109-89-7) was conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. A chronic Reference Value (ReV) was determined based on a high-quality study conducted in mice and rats by the National Toxicology Program. Chronic inhalation ReVs are health-based exposure concentrations used in assessing health risks of long-term (i.

Use of In Vivo and In Vitro Data to Derive a Chronic Reference Value for Crotonaldehyde Based on Relative Potency to Acrolein.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conducted a chronic inhalation noncancer toxicity assessment for crotonaldehyde (CRO). Since there were limited toxicity data for CRO, a reference value (ReV) was derived using a relative potency factor (RPF) approach with acrolein as the index chemical. Both CRO and acrolein are α,β-unsaturated carbonyls and share common steps in their mode of action (MOA).

Development of a chronic inhalation reference value for hexamethylenediamine using an exposure model based on the dihydrochloride salt.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has developed a chronic inhalation Reference Value (ReV) for hexamethylenediamine (HMDA, CAS 124-09-4) based on respiratory effects identified in an animal study. HMDA is used in the fiber and plastics industry as an intermediate in the production of nylon, high-strength resins and polyamide adhesives. As a toxicant, HMDA acts primarily as a respiratory irritant with effects occurring in the upper respiratory tract, although systemic effects have been noted at higher concentrations.

Health- and vegetative-based effect screening values for ethylene.

Ethylene (ET) is ubiquitous in the environment and is produced both naturally and due to anthropogenic sources. Interestingly, the majority of ambient ET contribution is from natural sources and anthropogenic sources contribute only a minor portion. While microbes and plants naturally produce a large amount of ET, mammals are reported to produce only a small amount of ET endogenously.

Emissions and ambient air monitoring trends of lower olefins across Texas from 2002 to 2012.

Texas has the largest ambient air monitoring network in the country with approximately 83 monitoring sites that measure ambient air concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The lower olefins, including 1,3-butadiene, ethylene, isoprene, and propylene, are a group of VOCs that can be measured in both 24h/every sixth-day canister samples and continuous 1-h Automated Gas Chromatography (AutoGC) samples. Based on 2012 Toxics Release Inventory data, the total reported industrial air emissions in Texas for these olefins, as compared to total national reported air emissions, were 79% for 1,3-butadiene, 62% for ethylene, 76% for isoprene, and 54% for propylene, illustrating that Texas industries are some of the major emitters for these olefins.

Impact of three interactive Texas state regulatory programs to decrease ambient air toxic levels.

Unlabelled: The Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA) framework envisions a federal-state partnership whereby the development of regulations may be at the federal level or state level with federal oversight. The US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards to describe "safe" ambient levels of criteria pollutants.

An updated inhalation unit risk factor for arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds based on a combined analysis of epidemiology studies.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) developed an inhalation unit risk factor (URF) of 4.3E-03 per μg/m(3) for arsenic in 1984 for excess lung cancer mortality based on epidemiological studies of workers at two smelters: the Asarco smelter in Tacoma, Washington and the Anaconda smelter in Montana. Since the USEPA assessment, new studies have been published and exposure estimates were updated at the Asarco and Anaconda smelters and additional years of follow-up evaluated.

Development of a unit risk factor for nickel and inorganic nickel compounds based on an updated carcinogenic toxicity assessment.

The TCEQ has developed a URF for nickel based on excess lung cancer in two epidemiological studies of nickel refinery workers with nickel species exposure profiles most similar to emissions expected in Texas (i.e., low in sulfidic nickel).

A chronic reference value for 1,3-butadiene based on an updated noncancer toxicity assessment.

A chronic noncancer toxicity assessment for 1,3-butadiene (BD) has been conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) using information not available to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.

Development of a unit risk factor for 1,3-butadiene based on an updated carcinogenic toxicity assessment.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has developed an inhalation unit risk factor (URF) for 1,3-butadiene based on leukemia mortality in an updated epidemiological study on styrene-butadiene rubber production workers conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Exposure estimates were updated and an exposure estimate validation study as well as dose-response modeling were conducted by these researchers. This information was not available to the U.

Evaluation of acute inhalation toxicity for chemicals with limited toxicity information.

A large reference database consisting of acute inhalation no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) and acute lethality data for 97 chemicals was compiled to investigate two methods to derive health-protective concentrations for chemicals with limited toxicity data for the evaluation of one-hour intermittent inhalation exposure. One method is to determine threshold of concern (TOC) concentrations for acute toxicity potency categories and the other is to determine NOAEL-to-LC(50) ratios. In the TOC approach, 97 chemicals were classified based on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals proposed by the United Nations into different acute toxicity categories (from most toxic to least toxic): Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, Category 4, and Category 5.

Spatial and temporal trend evaluation of ambient concentrations of 1,3-butadiene and chloroprene in Texas.

This paper provides information on 1,3-butadiene (BD) and chloroprene as atmospheric pollutants in Texas and reviews available emission estimates and monitoring data. Ambient BD concentrations in most areas of Texas are predominantly influenced by on-road and off-road vehicular emissions or biomass burning, since BD is a product of combustion. However, large industrial point sources of BD emissions in Texas locally influence ambient concentrations.