2010 ICCA-LRI & JRC Workshop
Integrating New Advances in Exposure Science
and Toxicity Testing: Next Steps
16 and 17 June 2010 at the Grand Hotel Bristol
Stresa, Italy
Media Information
1. What is the ICCA-LRI?
The ICCA-LRI is a global program implemented through three ICCA member organizations –
the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), the American Chemistry Council (ACC), and
the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA). Its mission is to identify and fill gaps in our
understanding about the human health and environmental hazards posed by chemicals and to
improve the methods available for assessing the associated risks.
2. Who are the organizers for this workshop?
The workshop was jointly organized by European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC)
and the International Council of Chemical Associations’ Long-Range Research Initiative (ICCALRI).
3. What are the goals for this workshop?
This workshop will focus on the emerging developments in exposure science and toxicity testing
for chemicals. Information about both the hazards of chemicals and actual exposures to
chemicals is essential to advance knowledge-based decision making about their safe use by
consumers. The workshop will also evaluate how communication between scientists and decision
makers, and with stakeholders, including the public, can be improved to yield better chemical
management policies.
4. What are the major themes for this workshop?
The three themes for this workshop are:

Exposure Science. Identify the research needed to improve understanding of human
exposures to chemicals in everyday life.

Innovative Approaches for Generating, Integrating, and Interpreting Hazard
Data. Examine new experimental cell systems and computational approaches for
analyzing the data that can improve predictive toxicology and support chemical safety
assessment.

Communicating Scientific Information. Develop a framework for a research
agenda to determine how the scientific information exchange between decision
makers, scientists, and the public can better meet the needs of society.
5. Who will attend the workshop?
This international workshop brings together representatives from industry, academia,
governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, public health and public policy
professionals, and communicators to evaluate and discuss areas of mutual interest in chemical
management.
Policymakers are particularly encouraged to participate. The workshop will provide them with an
excellent occasion to exchange views with various stakeholders on the key themes of exposure
science, innovative approaches to hazard data interpretation, and risk communication. Active
participation from the European Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency in
the different sessions demonstrates the importance of this debate for policymakers.
6. Why are new methods of toxicity testing needed? Are the methods currently used by
regulators unreliable or inadequate?
Current methodology used in regulations are appropriate, however, some methods can be made
more accurate and better predictive by the use of modern toxicity developments, including omics
approaches. There is also a need to find and validate alternative techniques to animal testing,
which remains broadly mandated and used in current regulatory testing.
ICCA-LRI is driving forward the new technology approach to risk assessment. There is a need to
examine new experimental cell systems and computational approaches for analyzing the data that
can improve predictive toxicology and support chemical safety assessment.
7. Why are genomics particularly relevant to the chemical industry and to the safety of
chemical products?
Omics approaches investigate the mechanisms of actions in toxicity, which give valuable
insights on the “how” and not just the “what” in toxicity. In turn this deeper understanding at the
cell and gene levels allows to make informed prediction on the safety of chemicals in biological
systems, both human and environmental.
8. When will the results of the Workshop be published?
An executive summary should be available in September.