This website gives information about the regulatory approaches adopted by OECD member countries to mitigate pesticide risks to insect pollinators. Following a survey of OECD member countries, it was concluded that mitigation of risks to insect pollinators is important to all its member countries, and that mitigation is a critical component of balancing the benefits of plant protection products with potential risks to insect pollinators.

A report of the 2013 joint OECD/Swedish Chemicals Agency/European Commission workshop on the assessment and management of risks of microbial pesticides that resulted in 20 recommendations for approaches that could be taken now and areas for follow-up work to be undertaken by OECD or Member countries.

The webinar will specifically be looking at recent developments in alternatives to long chain PFCs. Per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been in use since the 1950s as ingredients or intermediates of surfactants and surface protectors for assorted industrial and consumer applications.

This document compiles information on the current methodologies, tools and models and helps readers identify appropriate models/ and methodologies for estimating substance-specific removal/emissions from wastewater treatment systems. It could support efforts to improve these models and tools.

The first version of the Globally Harmonised Submission and Transport Standard was published May 2014. The GHSTS is a standardised set of technical specifications used to assemble electronic files for any pesticide package in a predefined manner. Once the files are assembled according to the specifications, they can be transferred from a business entity to a regulatory authority and can be extracted for use in a regulatory process.

This document is a tool for environmental safety assessment of novel varieties of Cassava derived from modern biotechnology. Cassava is a key staple crop in Africa, Asia and Latin America, this document will be useful to many readers interested in biosafety issues.

OECD major events and activities relating to biotechnologies: latest developments are updated biannually in this Newsletter

This OECD monograph demonstrates how a chemical hazard assessment that considers and ranks all available relevant information - a so-called weight of evidence approach - can be constructed to conclude on a particular hazard endpoint for a chemical, in this case, skin sensitisation for 4-isopropylaniline.

This report includes the conclusions and recommendation of an expert workshop on Physical-Chemical Properties of Manufactured Nanomaterials and Test Guidelines organized by OECD’s Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials. The workshop addressed issues relevant to the physical-chemical properties of manufactured nanomaterials from a regulatory perspective point with a view to the need for new or adapted test guidelines.

This guidance document proposes an integrated approach on testing and assessment for skin corrosion and irritation, in view of replacing the "testing and evaluation strategy" provided in the supplement to OECD TG404 (to be updated), provides information on key performance characteristics of each information source comprising the IATA, and guidance on how to integrate information for decision making for classification and labeling.

This scoping document brings forward relevant in vitro and ex vivo thyroid assays to the attention of OECD member countries, and provide recommendations for their further development/use, and also, to identify aspects of the thyroid signalling pathway that are not covered and would require further attention

The report presents the potential of new nanomaterials and highlights the remaining challenges for their safe and sustainable introduction in the tyre industry.

OECD has published a report of a survey that provides information and recommendations on how to deal with stocks of “obsolete” pesticides in OECD member (and partner) countries. Such pesticides’ obsolescence can arise for a number of reasons including product deterioration, product de-registration, and product revision.

This report of a survey collates member countries’ approaches to manage and mitigate the risk of pesticide use near residential areas.

The Joint Substance Data Pool of the German Federal Government and Federal States (GSBL) is now linked to eChemPortal. Records contain information on physical and chemical properties, on ecotoxicological and toxicological parameters and on environmental fate. They provide descriptions of environmental hazards, health dangers, fire and other technical hazards and give information on relevant chemicals-related legislation.

This publication is a tool for environmental safety assessment of EUCALYPTUS novel lines. Planted in the tropics and sub-tropics, E. species can be genetically-engineered for resistance to disease/drought/cold/salinity, or lower lignin content. Elements useful to biosafety evaluation are detailed, e.g. Eucalyptus taxonomy, origin, reproduction, genetics, hybridisation, ecology, allergens-toxins, beneficial chemical products, breeding.

This document presents the results of the workshop on children’s exposure to chemicals on 7-8 October 2013 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The main outcomes are 1) a decision tree to enable risk assessors to decide when they should perform children specific exposure and risk assessment, and 2) recommendations for further work on specific exposure assessment issues.

The OECD is pleased to announce, together with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission Joint Research Centre, the Adverse Outcome Pathway Knowledge Base (AOP KB). This is a web-based platform which aims to bring together all the knowledge on how chemicals can induce adverse effects, therefore providing a focal point for AOP development and dissemination.

This advisory document provides guidance on how pathology peer reviews should be planned, conducted and reported within the context of OECD Good Laboratory Practice.

On 26 September 2014, the OECD Council adopted three new, five updated and one corrected OECD Test Guidelines for the testing of chemicals.

The OECD has published a report on a pilot chemical classification exercise undertaken in 2013 and ‘14. Using a number of chemical assessments agreed in the OECD hazard assessment programme, reasons why classification proposals may differ were investigated. The report concludes on the main reasons for such differences, and recommends some measures to overcome some of them.

The OECD Advisory Group on Endocrine Disrupters Testing and Assessment met on 16-17 October 2014 in Paris to discuss the development and update of Test Guidelines and related documents for endocrine disrupters testing and assessment.

A cooperative global approach to the regulation of agricultural pesticides and sustainable pest management. Pesticides are widely used in agriculture and have considerable benefits by contributing to a sustainable production of food and feed. If used improperly or in an inappropriate manner, they also can present unacceptable risks to human and animal health and to the environment.

PRTR have been established throughout the world to track releases and transfers of potentially harmful chemicals. But most of the PRTR systems were designed without considering comparability, each PRTR has its own requirement of reporting chemicals and sectors. To harmonise globally, OECD reviewed the reporting chemicals and sectors across PRTR systems and produced proposal for harmonised lists of reporting pollutants.

OECD countries have developed PRTR system to track releases and transfers of potentially harmful chemicals. To improve PRTR system, OECD have analysed common elements (pollutants, sectors) in different PRTR systems, mainly focus on institutional arrangement. This serves as a common framework for different PRTR system, and supporting materials for a country that intends to develop or update its PRTR.

This guidance is intended to harmonise the way non-guideline in vitro test methods are described. This should in future facilitate an assessment of the relevance of test methods for biological activities and responses of interest, of the quality of data produced, irrespective of whether these tests are based on manual protocols or assay protocols adapted for use on automated platforms or high-throughput screening systems (HTS).

An addendum to the OECD Guiding Principles on Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response to address Natural Hazards Triggering Technological Accidents (Natech) Risk Management has just been published. The addendum consists of a number of amendments to the Guiding Principles and the addition of a new Chapter to provide more detailed guidance on Natech prevention, preparedness and response.

Micro-organisms play a fundamental role in the environment. Yet their role is the result of complex biogeochemical processes by consortia of micro-organisms and the function of individual species is not clear in many cases. This publication provides an overview of the current situation and relevant developments in environmental microbiology.

This toolbox is a compilation of resources relevant to chemical substitution and alternatives assessments. Alternative assessments are processes for identifying, comparing and selecting safer alternatives to replace hazardous chemicals with the objective of promoting sustainable production and consumption.

The OECD has just published two new Test Guidelines on human health hazard endpoint skin sensitisation. Skin sensitisation refers to an allergic response following skin contact with the tested chemical, as defined by the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UN GHS).

The OECD has published guidance to facilitate the ecological risk assessment of organometallic and organic metal salt substances. A strategy is presented based on key steps that first consider the fate of these substances in the environment, the identification of moieties of concern, and subsequently the selection of an appropriate path forward to either assess the inorganic moiety and/or the individual substance.

In 2011, Brazil joined OECD’s Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) system ensuring that its chemical safety test data will be accepted by all 40 countries adhering to MAD. Originally limited to data developed in Brazil on pesticides, biocides and industrial chemicals, it now also includes veterinary products, feed additives, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, sanitizers, wood preservative and treatments of effluents and natural ecosystems.

An OECD policy perspective is now available which describes some of the major highlights from an OECD report on Nanotechnology and Tyres: Greening Industry and Transport.

Volume I of this series compiles the science-based consensus documents of the OECD Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds from 2002 to 2008.

The new version of the IOMC Toolbox for Decision Making in Chemicals Management provides a set of interactive features allowing governments to use it as a platform for collaboration among ministries, agencies, and other stakeholders such as industry. Users can save their information, add comments, and share and discuss issues with colleagues and partners.

Today the OECD marks the end of a seven year experimental testing programme, investigating 11 commercially viable nanomaterials across 110 chemical tests. The results were co-ordinated across 11 countries with tests and data generated from government agencies, universities, research institutions and businesses. Over 780 studies on the specific properties of nanomaterials were undertaken.

The OECD eChemPortal, a web portal which offers comprehensive information on chemical substances, has been updated to offer better access to chemical classifications according to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

A set of new and updated OECD Test Guidelines was published at the end of July 2015 to test chemicals and identify hazards such as endocrine disruption, serious eye damage, genotoxicity, skin irritation or corrosion.

The OECD/UNEP Global PFC group has published two new reports to support efforts in the framework of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) to improve information sharing at a global level on perfluorinated chemistries.

This document provides background information on activities related to manufactured nanomaterials, as well as other activities on nanotechnologies at the international level. The information provided in this document captures OECD activities between February and December 2013.

The OECD has published fundamental and guiding principles to facilitate the application of QSAR methods to the risk assessment of chemicals. The main focus is on the critical role of mechanistic consideration in improving various (Q)SAR approaches and possible integrative approaches of combining chemoinformatics and bioinformatics.

This new document focuses on the evaluation of test methods applied to determine the physico-chemical properties of different types of nanomaterials.

This new Advisory Document replaces the 1995 consensus document on the Application of the Principles of GLP to Computerised Systems. It retains all of the key text from the original 1995 document, but includes new text to reflect the current state-of-the art in this field.

German database Information system für gefährliche Stoffe IGS is now linked to eChemPortal. The IGS provides public access to a variety of information on chemical and microbiological substances mostly in German. The focus is on regulatory information reflecting German and European, as well as Swiss, US and selected other legislation and assessments. Beside this, information on substance data and emergency procedures is available.

France has improved its environmental performance over the last decade, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, reducing some air pollutants and cutting its use of fresh water. Further effort will be needed, however, to reduce pollution by nitrates and pesticides and meet ambitious renewable energy targets, according to a new OECD report.

The OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals is a collection of about 150 of the most relevant internationally agreed testing methods used by government, industry and independent laboratories to identify and characterise potential hazards of chemicals. Every year new and updated Test Guidelines are adopted to meet the regulatory needs in OECD member countries. The most recent Test Guidelines were adopted in July 2016.

Participants from 15 countries attended the Workshop on Developmental Neurotoxicity: The use of non-animal test methods for regulatory purposes” on 18 October 2016, in Belgium. The event, co-organised by the OECD and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), focused on opportunities and challenges related to alternative methods for testing and assessing the DNT potential of chemicals.

Results of a joint pilot project of the OECD and the UN Sub-Committee of Exports on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS) including a report of the results of the pilot and non-biding proposed classifications for three substances.

GLP issues raised by testing labs are covered in this comprehensive list of questions and answers, recently updated with questions related to: sponsors, Contract Research Organisations (CROs), sub-contractors, archives, Information Technology (IT), Biotechnology/GMOs and other miscellaneous issues

This new council act recommends that Member countries take steps to establish, as appropriate, implement and make publicly available a pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) system using the principles and information set forth in the OECD Guidance Documents on PRTRs.