SETAC 2026 Europe Presentations
The event featured over 5 days of platform and poster presentations, keynotes, and training courses focused on chemical pollution, environmental toxicology, and sustainability.
Topics were varied; with our team presenting on a number of topics:
AUTHOR: Amy Snow Senior Biologist, Ecotoxicology
TITLE: Does age matter?: An Investigation of the Variation in Vitellogenin Production Compared to Age of Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) Using Historical Control Data
ABSTRACT: The OCSPP 890.1350 FSTRA guideline recommends the use of reproductively active fathead minnow between the ages of 4.5 to 6 months (18-24 weeks) old for testing. The OECD 229 guideline states fathead minnow should be approximately 20 ± 2 weeks of age for use in FSTRA testing if reared at 25°C. Do these windows of time dictate any difference of VTG concentration at test termination? In this investigation, the fathead minnow from 39 studies were compared between the ages of 24 to 37 weeks at termination to compare the vitellogenin output against age.
Study Goal: Evaluate whether fish age is a significant variable of female vitellogenin and male vitellogenin concentration in Pimephales promelas using historical control data. Both analyses were run with the full termination data set and with statistical outliers removed from the data.
– click here to download the poster
AUTHOR: Danny Wensley, Senior Physical Chemistry expert
TITLE: Enhancing ERAs for high LogP substances
ABSTRACT: Octanol–Water partition coefficients (logPO/W) underpin environmental modelling providing a rudimentary, overly generic value to estimate a substance’s behavior. The end-point of an OECD 107, 117 or 123 is incorporated into modelling tools and assessments to predict a molecule’s behavior in a wide range of situations, whether it is affinity to an environmental compartment matrix, rate of transfer to water resources or bioaccumulation. To varying degrees, LogP values derived from these regulatory studies are a fundamental yet superficial input for persistance, bioaccumulation, mobility and toxicology trigger assessments.
High LogP (>4, OECD 123) substances are particularly challenging to evaluate in environmental risk assessments (ERA). Their strong hydrophobicity drives extensive sorption and partitioning processes that are not fully captured by conventional testing, e.g. OECD 123. Smithers has begun development of a customizable program of partition coefficient studies investigating partition behavior across three environmentally and biologically relevant simulations: partition between air (KO/A), cell membrane (KM/W), and bovine serum albumin (KBSA/W)
- click here to download the poster
AUTHOR: Tracey Goodband, Senior Ecotoxicology Study Director
TITLE: The Practicality of Adjusting pH to Comply with Pharmaceutical Testing Requirements
ABSTRACT: EMA Environmental Risk Assessment requirement guideline (2024), indicates that tests should be conducted at a stable pH consistent with the most bio-available form of the test chemical (usually the non-dissociated form or the form with the most neutral molecule species). However, what if the required pH is close to or outside the recommended pH values for the test species? How far should this be taken before the performance of the test is potentially compromised? And, how practical is this with multiple compartment test systems?
– click here to download the poster
TITLE: Why not Medaka?: An Overview for the use of Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes) as a Model Species for Endocrine Disruption Investigation Using Historical Control Data
ABSTRACT: Over the last decade, more emphasis has been placed on the investigation of potential endocrine activity of chemicals on fish with new requirements under EFSA/ECHA and US FDA/EPA. Standard OECD in vivo guidelines for investigating potential endocrine activity in fish include the Fish Short Term Reproduction Test (OECD 229), Fish Sexual Development Test (OECD 234) and the Medaka Extended One Generation Reproduction Test (OECD 240). The Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes) is recommended as a test species in these guidelines and is specific to the OECD 240 (MEOGRT), which is currently the only Tier 5 test for aquatic organisms.
However, it is not a species that has been traditionally used in Europe or America with most CROs preferring fathead minnow and/or zebrafish. As such, there is a lack of experience with the species and historical control data (HCD) is limited.
– click here to download the poster
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