Chair: Homer Swei, Environmental Working Group
Co-Chair: Muna Nahar, US EPA

Primary Endorser: Sustainable Chemicals through Contemporary Toxicology Specialty Section


Endorser(s): Occupational and Public Health Specialty Section


Endorser(s): Regulatory and Safety Evaluation Specialty Section

Alternatives assessment frameworks formalize approaches to selecting chemical replacements while avoiding regrettable substitutions. While the alternatives assessment field is relevant to all chemical use settings, it is particularly important with regard to consumer products. Consumer product safety is getting more attention from the public in recent years with terms like “clean beauty” and “green” products trending in the media. Product safety assessment is a diverse field with many players, but when it comes to questions of human health and environmental impacts, alternatives assessment provides a way forward for formulators, regulators, and advocates to collaborate and create safer products. Using alternatives assessment ensures that products contain the safest available ingredients, thereby simultaneously promoting public health and increasing consumer trust. Individual alternatives assessment frameworks weigh considerations differently. The 2014 National Research Council report A Framework to Guide Selection of Chemical Alternatives formalized the field of alternatives assessment and noted that while much of the existing assessments use Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals criteria to evaluate hazard, other novel data streams also should be considered. More recent approaches have emphasized how certain parameters, such as exposure classification, should be incorporated to ensure that alternatives assessments are not solely based on hazard. Other groups have stressed the need to consider the potential environmental impacts of replacement chemicals in addition to their human health hazards. Furthermore, given that consumer product formulations require certain functionality for efficacy, assessment within functional-use classes is especially important. Moreover, many formulators are moving toward multifunctional ingredients, making comparison between ingredients more complex. In this session, academics, industry toxicologists, and nongovernmental organization scientists will come together in a unique “meeting of the minds” to discuss different approaches to alternatives assessment and how these approaches can be effectively applied to formulation approaches to ensure product safety. In addition to using case studies to highlight success stories, they will identify data gaps and challenges for the field. By tracing alternatives assessment from methodologic considerations through final product creation, this session will demonstrate applying toxicologic principles beyond the laboratory. After their presentations, the speakers will have a panel discussion moderated by the Co-Chair to answer audience questions and share perspectives about best practices, especially in cases where scientists from these different sectors may disagree. While approaches may differ, the goal across these sectors remains the same: create effective products that are safe for human health and the environment. Topics addressed during the panel discussion will include exposure assessment beyond direct consumer use, product lifecycle considerations, and validation approaches for alternatives assessment and third-party certifications. The panelists also will be invited to comment on the implications of formulation alternatives assessment for occupational health and how the field may account for consumer misuse. With the conclusion of this session, attendees will have a better understanding of both the creation of alternatives assessment frameworks and their application to real-world questions regarding consumer product safety. Unlike past sessions on safer chemical selection, this session goes beyond a methodologic review and directly addresses the results of the successful application of alternatives assessment. Attendees will be part of a dialogue on best practices and futurecasting in this field.