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OR&R Scientists Advance Environmental Toxicity Knowledge at American Chemical Society Fall Meeting
SEPT. 9, 2024 — Two scientists from NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration’s Emergency Response Division gave presentations at the fall 2024 meeting of the American Chemical Society, which took place August 18–22 in Denver, Colorado. They were among the hundreds of chemistry professionals who gathered at the biennial event to share ideas, advance scientific and technical knowledge, and connect with the scientific society.
The need to reduce the use of vertebrates in toxicity testing has led to efforts encouraging innovation, including the advancement of non-animal alternatives, known as New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). A special symposia, titled “Getting Out of the Toxicology Rat Race: Development to Adoption of New Approach Methodologies,” brought together leaders from multiple disciplines to highlight opportunities for incorporating and advancing the adoption of NAMs in chemical safety assessments. Invited speakers included scientists from the United States and around the globe, representing academia, industry, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
Through case studies, OR&R environmental scientist Adriana C. Bejarano, Ph.D., demonstrated the utility of Interspecies Correlation Estimation (ICE) models in generating toxicity data for untested species, and in supporting hazard evaluations for chemicals with limited data. These dialogues are important as the advancement and acceptance of NAMs, including ICE models, have implications for hazard evaluations of chemical spills in aquatic environments and to the further development of decision support tools such as OR&R’s Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effects (CAFE) Database.
At the event, the OR&R team behind the CAMEO® (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) software suite was also recognized with the 2024 Howard Fawcett Chemical Health and Safety Award.