title: Reducing the number of fish in bioconcentration studies with general chemicals by reducing the number of test concentrations.
abstract: Fish bioconcentration test guidelines generally require that bioconcentration factors (BCFs) are determined at two exposure concentrations. However, recent revisions to the OECD test guideline for bioconcentration testing (TG 305) provide the option to use only one exposure concentration, when justification is provided, although two concentrations may still be required for some regulatory purposes. Recently, this justification has been demonstrated for plant protection product active ingredients. To determine whether this justification has a broader validity for general chemicals, an analysis of 236 BCF studies on general chemicals was conducted. The results presented here again demonstrate that BCF values do not significantly differ between concentrations when more than one concentration is used. This relationship is particularly strong for BCFs ⩾1000L/kg, which is beneficial, since only chemicals with BCFs >2000L/kg may require regulatory action. This analysis therefore provides a data-driven rationale for using the one test concentration approach for general chemical substances and thus could contribute to a substantial reduction in the use of fish in bioconcentration tests.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), Gibbs Building, 215 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK. Electronic address: Natalie.Burden@nc3rs.org.uk.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Burden
authors.affiliation: Environmental Protection Authority, 215 Lambton Quay, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Creton
authors.affiliation: BASF SE, Crop Protection - Ecotoxicology, Speyerer Strasse 2, D-67117 Limburgerhof, Germany.
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weltje
authors.affiliation: Syngenta Ltd, Product Safety, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 6EY, UK.
authors.forename: Samuel K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Maynard
authors.affiliation: Dow AgroSciences, 3B Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RN, UK.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005399:Fishes / Q000254:growth & development*; D007700:Kinetics; D012106:Research; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: 3Rs; BCF; Bioconcentration; Chemicals; Fish