Feasibility study: refinement of the TTC concept by additional rules based on in silico and experimental data

Derivation of an inhalation TTC for the workplace based on DNEL values reported under REACH

The Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) concept defines a generic tolerable exposure for chemicals of unknown toxicity below which the risk of adverse health effects is considered very small. The original concept was refined and extended over the years, based either on differentiated structural classes or on additional information on certain toxicological endpoints. Initially, the focus of the TTC application was only on systemic toxic effects after repeated oral intake and consisted of one value. However, under well-defined boundary conditions, a long-term systemic inhalation TTC could also serve as a cut-off criterion for occupational exposure in those cases where workers are exposed to very low levels of chemicals by inhalation contact and could therefore reduce the need to perform animal tests. Within the scope of the European REACH legislation, several thousand systemic long-term inhalation Derived No Effect Levels (DNELs) for workers have been published. By statistical evaluation of the DNEL distribution of 1876 chemicals and the resulting 99th percentiles, we propose an inhalation workplace TTC for systemic effects in the region of 50 μg/m³ (7 μg/kg body weight/day). Specific exclusion criteria apply for the discussed concept.

It is time to develop ecological thresholds of toxicological concern to assist environmental hazard assessment

The threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) concept is well established for assessing human safety of food-contact substances and has been reapplied for a variety of endpoints, including carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and reproductive toxicity. The TTC establishes an exposure level for chemicals below which no appreciable risk to human health or the environment is expected, based on a de minimis value for toxicity identified for many chemicals. Threshold of toxicological concern approaches have benefits for screening-level risk assessments, including the potential for rapid decision-making, fully utilizing existing knowledge, reasonable conservativeness for chemicals used in lower volumes (low production volume chemicals (e.g., < 1 t/yr), and reduction or elimination of unnecessary animal tests. Higher production volume chemicals (>1 t/yr) would in principle always require specific information because of the presumed higher exposure potential. The TTC approach has found particular favor in the assessment of chemicals used in cosmetics and personal care products, as well as other chemicals traditionally used in low volumes. Use of the TTC in environmental safety is just beginning, and initial attempts are being published. Key questions focus on hazard extrapolation of diverse taxa across trophic levels, importance of mode of action, and whether safe concentrations for ecosystems estimated from acute or chronic toxicity data are equally useful and in what contexts. The present study provides an overview of the theoretical basis for developing an ecological (eco)-TTC, with an initial exploration of chemical assessment and boundary conditions for use. An international collaboration under the International Life Sciences Institute Health and Environmental Sciences Institute has been established to address challenges related to developing and applying useful eco-TTC concepts.