Just about all of these concerns can be addressed if toxicology moved toward a nonanimal approach. The method of using animals originated in the 1930-60 and is completely outdated today. The blueprint for development and implementation of alternatives is the National Research Council report, Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy in 2007. Using this approach, regulatory scientists can simultaneously examine numerous possible health effects of exposure to thousands of chemicals. With these data, they can determine which chemicals present a concern and flag those for further testing, setting aside chemicals that present little or no health concerns. This approach would allow scientists to quickly analyze the backlog of chemicals that may not have undergone rigorous safety testing. That would reduce the amount of uncertainty in the chemical market, optimizing protection of human health and the environment.
R.M.C.