Overview on legislation and scientific approaches for risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals: the potential EuroMix contribution
Open accessAbstract
This article reviews the current legislative requirements for risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals via multiple exposure routes, focusing on human health and particularly on food-related chemicals. The aim is to identify regulatory needs and current approaches for this type of risk assessment as well as challenges of the implementation of appropriate and harmonized guidance at international level. It provides an overview of the current legal requirements in the European Union (EU), the United States and Canada. Substantial differences were identified in the legal requirements for risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals and its implementation between EU and non-EU countries and across several regulatory sectors. Frameworks currently proposed and in use for assessing risks from combined exposure to multiple chemicals via multiple routes and different durations of exposure are summarized. In order to avoid significant discrepancies between regulatory sectors or countries, the approach for assessing risks of combined exposure should be based on similar principles for all types of chemicals. OECD and EFSA identified the development of harmonized methodologies for combined exposure to multiple chemicals as a key priority area. The Horizon 2020 project "EuroMix" aims to contribute to the further development of internationally harmonized approaches for such risk assessments by the development of an integrated test strategy using in vitro and in silico tests verified for chemical mixtures based on more appropriate data on potential combined effects. These approaches and testing strategies should be integrated in a scientifically based weight of evidence approach to account for complexity and uncertainty, to improve risk assessment.
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Estimating the toxicity of complex chemical mixtures in water can be challenging.
“This finding is important because estimating the toxicity of complex chemical mixtures in water can be challenging.53”
From Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Groundwater Used as a Source of Drinking Water in the Eastern United States (2022) · cites this paper as [53]
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- Authors
- Rotter, S., Beronius, A., Boobis, A. R., Hanberg, A., van Klaveren, J., Luijten, M., Machera, K., Nikolopoulou, D., van der Voet, H., Zilliacus, J., & Solecki, R.
- Affiliations
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) (DE)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands;
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL)
- Benaki Phytopathological Institute (GR)
- Biometris, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author
- Rotter, S.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Critical Reviews in Toxicology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-10-21
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 796-814
- ISSN
- 0045-6446 (ISSN-L)
- 1040-8444
- 1547-6898
- OpenAlex
- W2910883898
- Cited by
- 108
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 4
- FWCI
- 1.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Critical Reviews in Toxicology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- OpenAgrar (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Rivm Repository (Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion)
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Rivm (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- European Commission, H2020
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Agricultural safety and regulations
- Physical Sciences › Chemical Engineering › Chemical Health and Safety › Chemical Safety and Risk Management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Keywords
- combined chemical exposure, chemical mixtures, food-related chemicals, human health risk, regulatory harmonization, weight-of-evidence approach, uncertainty, OECD, EFSA, European Union regulation, United States regulation
- MeSH terms
- Environmental Exposure, Environmental Pollutants, European Union, Humans, Risk Assessment, Environmental Policy
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