Computational environmental toxicology

Article By:

Blancato, Jerry National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Vallero, Daniel A. National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Last reviewed:October 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.153770

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• Computational environmental toxicology, published December 2006:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

The application of computational biology, using mathematical and computer models, to assess the risk chemicals pose to human health and the environment and to better understand the mechanism through which given chemicals induce harm. Hundreds of thousands of chemicals in current or past use are present in the environment, leaving human populations and ecosystems potentially at risk of exposure to them. The large number and various forms of chemicals preclude regulators from evaluating every chemical with the most rigorous testing strategies. Instead, standard toxicity tests have been limited to only a small number of chemicals, with the hope that the “worst” chemicals will receive specific attention. The chemicals that are tested may represent large classes of compounds, such as certain types of pesticides. Advances in computational biology offer the possibility that scientists can develop a more detailed understanding of the risks posed by a larger number of chemicals.

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