Toxicology and Regulatory Process PDF

Preface

The aim of Toxicology and Regulatory Process is to acquaint the readers with the interrelationship between toxicology and the process of regulating chemicals/materials. At first blush this relationship may be regarded as regulation being the engine that drives toxicology. That is, toxicological methods do not just appear but are devised in response to regulatory needs. The obverse is also true: Toxicology drives the regulatory process. New methods in toxicology influence what approaches regulatory agencies take in solving issues regarding hazard determination, exposure, and risk assessment. This book will provide a greater depth of understanding about the relationship between these interdependent sciences and possibly will foster an atmosphere in which the mutually beneficial aspects of the relationship can be further enhanced.

Toxicology and Regulatory Process will not explore the many and varied standard toxicological methods used by regulatory agencies in their day-to-day activities. (That type of information is readily available elsewhere.) This book will delve into how and why certain toxicological methods or approaches evolved. For example, how and why did endocrine disruptors become a concern relative to adequate toxicological methods? The details associated with whether the science does or does not warrant such a concern would also be discussed. This would be an example of regulation driving toxicology. What influence has toxicogenomics had on regulating chemicals? This would be an example of toxicology driving the regulatory process. What are the lessons learned from these examples that can improve the relationship? Most important is the outcome of these efforts, that is, what is the state of their development today and possible reasons for that outcome?

This book consists of two major sections. One section provides information on how toxicology impacts the regulatory process, and the other section details information on how the regulatory process impacts toxicology. Each section provides examples and gives details regarding how and why the method/approach or legislation was developed, how it was intended to be used, and current views and status.

Toxicology and the Regulatory Process is not an academic textbook in the true sense, nor is it a desk reference for pharmacologists or toxicologists in industry or government. The book is for those who seek a broader understanding of the interaction between the science of toxicology and the agencies that use toxicology.

We believe such a book will be of interest to pharmacologists and toxicologists in the industrial as well as governmental sectors. Academicians will also be interested, particularly those teaching and training individuals seeking employment in government and industry.