Abstract
In 2012, the Council of Canadian Academies published the expert panel on integrated testing of pesticide’s report titled: Integrating emerging technologies into chemical safety assessment. This report was prepared for the Government of Canada in response to a request from the Minister of Health and on behalf of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. It examined the scientific status of the use of integrated testing strategies for the regulatory health risk assessment of pesticides while noting the data-rich/poor dichotomy that exists when comparing pesticide formulations to most industrial chemicals. It also noted that the adoption of integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA) strategies may refine and streamline testing of chemicals, as well as improve results in the future. Moreover, the experts expected to see an increase in the use of integrated testing strategies over the next decade, resulting in improved evidence-based decision-making. Subsequent to this report, there has been great advancements in IATA strategies, which includes the incorporation of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) and new approach methodologies (NAMs). This perspective provides the first Canadian regulatory update on how Health Canada is also advancing the incorporation of alternative, non-animal strategies, using a weight of evidence approach, for the evaluation of pest control products and industrial chemicals. It will include specific initiatives and describe how this work is leading to the creation of next generation risk assessments. It also reflects Health Canada’s commitment towards implementing the 3Rs of animal testing: reduce, refine and replace the need for animal studies, whenever possible.
Highlights
Evidence-based decision-making, rooted in robust scientific risk assessments, is paramount for the initial market-approval and subsequent evaluations of registered pest control products and industrial chemicals in Canada
To allow for broader acceptance of integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA), new approach methodologies (NAMs), and no longer routinely requiring specific animal assays for toxicity testing, Health Canada continues to rely on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Technical Working Group on Pesticides (TWG) and the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council (Health Canada, 2016b; 2020; RCC)
This perspective provides the first Canadian regulatory update on how Health Canada is advancing the incorporation of alternative, non-animal strategies for the evaluation of pest control products and industrial chemicals
Summary
Evidence-based decision-making, rooted in robust scientific risk assessments, is paramount for the initial market-approval and subsequent evaluations of registered pest control products and industrial chemicals in Canada. This article provides the first Canadian regulatory update on how the regulatory authorities responsible for pest control products and industrial chemicals are advancing the incorporation of alternative and non-animal strategies It demonstrates how these program areas have successfully positioned themselves for the generation of risk assessments by elaborating on early conceptual frameworks. To allow for broader acceptance of IATAs, NAMs, and no longer routinely requiring specific animal assays for toxicity testing, Health Canada continues to rely on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Technical Working Group on Pesticides (TWG) and the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council (Health Canada, 2016b; 2020; RCC) This cooperation has resulted in successful collaboration with stakeholders and global experts from all areas including Industry, Academia, and Non-Governmental Organizations. The aim is to bring all of these elements together in order to use the most relevant data for the protection of human health and the environment
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