Toxicology testing, also known as safety testing, or toxicity testing, is conducted by pharmaceutical companies testing drugs, or by contract animal testing facilities such as Huntingdon Life Sciences and Inveresk Research International on behalf of a wide variety of customers, including the manufacturer of medicines and household products. [1]
Around one million animals are used every year in Europe in toxicology tests.[1] In the UK, one-fifth of animal experiments are toxicology tests.[2]
The tests are conducted without anesthesia, since drugs can change test results.[3] The tests examine finished products such as pesticides, medications, food additives such as artificial sweeteners, packing materials, and air freshener, or their chemical ingredients. The substances are applied to the skin or eyes; injected intravenously, intramuscularly, or subcutaneously; inhaled either by placing a mask over the animals and restraining them, or by placing them in an inhalation chamber; or administered orally, through a tube into the stomach, or placing them in the animals' food. Doses may be given once, repeated regularly for many months, or for the lifespan of the animal.
What is aquatic toxicity testing?