A proposal to improve clarity and communication in the EU Classification process for chemicals for carcinogenicity and reproductive and developmental toxicity

There is an issue in the EU classification of substances for carcinogenicity and for reproductive or developmental toxicity which has brought difficulties to those involved in the process. The issue lies in the inability of the classification system to distinguish between carcinogens and reproductive toxicants with different levels of concern. This has its origins in the early years of toxicology when it was thought that a relatively small number of chemicals would be either carcinogens or reproductive toxicants, but this has turned out not to be the case. This can cause problems in communicating to the users of chemicals, including the public, the nature of the hazard presented by chemicals. Processes have been developed within the classification system for setting specific concentration limits which assess the degree of hazard for carcinogens and reproductive toxicants as high, medium or low. However these categories are not otherwise used in classification. It is proposed that their wider use would bring the advantages of transparency, clarity of communication, certainty of the process and would allow chemicals with a high degree of hazard to be identified and managed in an appropriate way. Copyright © 2014. The Authors. Journal of Applied Toxicology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The inability of the EU classification system to distinguish between carcinogens and reproductive toxicants with different levels of concern can cause problems in communicating to the users of chemicals the nature of the hazard presented by chemicals. Processes have been developed by the EU for assessing the degree of hazard for carcinogens and reproductive toxicants as high, medium or low. Using them more widely would bring the advantage of transparency, clarity of communication and certainty of the process.