EPA Releases Guidance on a Voluntary Pilot Program to Reduce Animal Testing

For Release: December 20, 2016

EPA is announcing the start of a voluntary pilot program to evaluate the usefulness and acceptability of a mathematical tool that estimates the toxicological classification of a chemical, which is used in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and which is referred to as the GHS Mixtures Equation. This mathematical tool can be used as an alternative to acute animal oral and inhalation toxicity studies for pesticide formulations. EPA is now providing guidance on how pesticide companies can voluntarily submit data for the GHS Mixtures Equation Pilot Program.

EPA is requesting submission of acute oral and acute inhalation toxicity study data paired with mathematical calculations (GHS Mixtures Equation data) to support the evaluation of pesticide product formulations. Registrants and applicants for registration interested in providing data to the Agency should follow the instructions on the GHS Equation Pilot Program webpage. We anticipate that the pilot will run for approximately six months; however, if we receive sufficient data before the six months are up, we will begin our analysis earlier.

The start of this GHS pilot program is another step toward EPA’s goal of reducing animal testing by adopting better testing methods as described in the Office of Pesticide Programs Director Jack Housenger letter to stakeholders.