Project description
REACH for USEtox

The overall objective of the REACH-4-USEtox project is to assess REACH registration data for use in the global scientific consensus model USEtox and apply USEtox to identify sensitive input parameters for characterizing the fate of chemical substances released to the environment and for characterizing related human and ecosystem exposures.

REACH-4-USEtox

Background & project objective

The purpose of this project is to explain the possible application of the USEtox scientific consensus model for substance screening activities in relation to the European REACH regulation. The cooperation between the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the USEtox Team is of direct relevance to ongoing work in the area of screening for substances and data mining activities. Furthermore, there is a more general interest from the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) community in using REACH data in the field of Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), so REACH data is being used in related fields of science for improving human health and the environment. The longer-term goal is to use the USEtox model for the screening of substances under REACH and CLP regulations by using mass balance calculations and fate factors. An interesting approach is available in USEtox for the human health and ecotoxicity effect factors.

REACH-4-USEtox
REACH-4-USEtox

Main goal of the project is to assess the possibility to evaluate REACH registration data of chemical substances toward the broad and consistent use in toxicity characterization models within globally applied life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. A secondary goal of the project is to explore the possibility to complement current REACH registration profiles for chemical substances with exposure metrics, such as the human intake fraction, calculated in the scientific consensus model USEtox, which is currently the globally most widely accepted model for human toxicity and ecotoxicity characterization in LCIA.


Project output

Main project output is an internal project report to be delivered to ECHA, and 2 scientific open access articles listed in below table.

Document titleDownload file
Fantke, P., Aurisano, N., Provoost, J., Karamertzanis, P.G., Hauschild, M., 2020. Toward effective use of REACH data for science and policy. Environment International 135, 105336.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105336
Aurisano, N., Fantke, P., 2022. Semi-automated harmonization and selection of chemical data for risk and impact assessment. Chemosphere 302, 134886.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134886
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