EFSA expands body of work on cumulative risk assessment
EFSA presents its conclusions on the relevance of dissimilar mode of action A sequence of events, identified by research, which explains an observed effect. as part of its ongoing work in the field of cumulative risk assessment A method of assessing risks to health or the environment posed by multiple substances such as chemicals. (CRA) of pesticide Substance used to kill or control pests, including disease-carrying organisms and undesirable insects, animals and plants. residues in foods. This scientific opinion Opinions include risk assessments on general scientific issues, evaluations of an application for the authorisation of a product, substance or claim, or an evaluation of a risk assessment. complements EFSA’s previous work in developing a methodology for identifying and grouping pesticides that exhibit similar toxicological properties in a specific organ or system, such as the central nervous systerm or thyroid.
In the opinion on the relevance of dissimilar mode of action and its application to the CRA approach, the Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR) concludes that:
- The concept of dose addition A process to establish the response of organisms to a mixture of chemicals with similar toxicity. This involves adding up their individual effects to predict the likely impact of the overall mixture. should be used as a way of evaluating the combined toxicity The potential of a substance to cause harm to a living organism. of mixtures of substances that act by dissimilar modes of action. Dose The total amount of a substance (e.g. a chemical or nutrient) given to, consumed or absorbed by an individual organism, population or ecosystem. addition implies that every chemical in any concentration contributes to the overall toxicity of the mixture.
- In risk assessment A specialised field of applied science that involves reviewing scientific data and studies in order to evaluate risks associated with certain hazards. It involves four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation. practice, substances causing the same adverse outcome in the same organ or organ system should be grouped together in cumulative assessment groups (CAGs).