A validated search filter for the identification of endocrine disruptors based on the ECHA/EFSA guidance recommendations

Laura Escrivá; Ellen Hessel; Susanne Gustafsson; Rob van Spronsen; Magdalena Svanberg; Anna Beronius

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.105828

A validated search filter for the identification of endocrine disruptors based on the ECHA/EFSA guidance recommendations

Environ Int. 2020 Sep:142:105828. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105828. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Authors

Laura Escrivá¹, Ellen Hessel², Susanne Gustafsson³, Rob van Spronsen⁴, Magdalena Svanberg⁵, Anna Beronius⁶

Affiliations

¹ Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden; Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain. Electronic address: laura.escriva@uv.es.
² National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: ellen.hessel@rivm.nl.
³ Swedish Medical Products Agency, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: susanne.gustafsson@lakemedelsverket.se.
⁴ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: rob.van.spronsen@rivm.nl.
⁵ Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: masvanbe@kth.se.
⁶ Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: anna.beronius@ki.se.

PMID: 32502797
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105828

Abstract

A guidance document for the identification of endocrine disruptors (EDs) in the regulatory assessment of plant protection products (PPP) and biocidal products (BP) has been published by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The ECHA/EFSA guidance, mainly addressing EATS (estrogen, androgen, thyroid, steroidogenesis) modalities, is intended to guide applicants and assessors of the competent regulatory authorities on the implementation of the scientific criteria for the determination of ED properties pursuant to the recently implemented PPP (EU 2018/605) and BP (EU 2017/2100) EU Regulations. In this study, a search filter for targeted literature search in context of assessing if a substance can be identified as an ED relevant for human health was developed and validated. Development of the search filter was based on the search strategy presented in the ECHA/EFSA guidance and using the estrogenic chemical Bisphenol AF (BPAF) as a model substance. Information specialists from two independent institutions developed refined search filters based on the suggested original search strategy published (ECHA/EFSA guidance - Appendix F). Articles identified by a systematic literature search for BPAF were screened for relevance with inclusion and exclusion criteria by two independent reviewers obtaining positive (relevant) and negative (irrelevant) controls. The developed search filter was quantitatively evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity and precision based on the positive and negative controls. The developed filter was then validated for T modality by its application to the known thyroid-disruptor perchlorate. The result is a sensitive search filter with sufficient specificity, which can be applied for all chemicals where a targeted literature search is needed to assess and identify ED properties of chemicals with relevance for humans. Future application of the filter to a broader range of chemicals may identify further points of improvement.

Keywords: ED assessment; ED criteria; Endocrine disruptors; Search filter; Systematic literature search.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Databases, Bibliographic
Endocrine Disruptors* / toxicity
Fishes
Food Safety
Humans
Information Storage and Retrieval*
Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

Endocrine Disruptors