A SCORING SYSTEM AS AN AID FOR RANKING INDUSTRIAL-CHEMICALS WITH TERATOGENIC POTENTIAL

To provide a consistent teratogenic risk assessment from animals' data, the system described here suggests an evaluation by stages. Based on the expert system from Mattison, the toxic responses of commun species of experimental animals are scored. The scores are then multiplied by the ratio of the lowest adult toxic dose A, to the lowest developmental toxic dose D (A/D). The products form 3 categories. Based on the reversibility of the developmental effects, the categories are subdivided into classes A B C D. This system should permit an unbiased risk assessment and a comparaison of industrial chemicals' prenatal toxicity.