Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals - SGOMSEC

Former SGOMSEC Chairpersons: Norton Nelson (USA), Philippe Bourdeau (Belgium), Bernard Goldstein (USA), Werner Klein (Germany)

The Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals (SGOMSEC) was established in 1979 at the initiative of Professor Norton Nelson from New York University. SGOMSEC, an international programme, was sponsored by IPCS (International Program on Chemical Safety) within WHO with the cooperation of UNEP and ILO, and SCOPE. The US NIEHS and the European Commission have also contributed to SGOMSEC studies in latter years.

The broad objective of SGOMSEC was to contribute to the reduction and prevention of risks caused to humans and non-human targets (ecosystems) by the introduction in the environment in increasing quantities of a large number of natural and man-made chemicals.

The specific contribution of SGOMSEC was to assess the methodologies in use for the evaluation of these risks with a view to determine their values, to identify gaps and emerging needs, and to make recommendations for future research. SGOMSEC projects have dealt with either general problems of chemical exposure and effects or with specific issues such as the non-intentional effects of pesticides or the consequences of large chemical accidents.

While SGOMSEC was discontinued as a SCOPE programme per se in late 2005, the many experts who have been involved in this significant and wide-reaching programme will continue to develop projects of a like nature in the coming years.

Publications resulting from SGOMSEC projects

*SCOPE 53 Methods to Assess the Effects of Chemicals on Ecosystems (SGOMSEC 10-IPCS 23)

*SCOPE 52 Methods to Assess DNA Damage and Repair: Interspecies Comparisons (SGOMSEC 8-IPCS 19)

*SCOPE 49 Methods to Assess Adverse Effects of Pesticides on Non-target Organisms (SGOMSEC 7-IPCS 16)

*SCOPE 46 Methods for Assessing Exposure of Human and Non-human Biota (SGOMSEC 5-IPCS 13)

*SCOPE 41 Short-term Toxicity Tests for Non-Genotoxic Effects (SGOMSEC 4-IPCS 8)

*SCOPE 40 Methods for Assessing and Reducing Injury from Chemical Accidents (SGOMSEC 6-IPCS 11)

*SCOPE 38 Ecotoxicology and Climate with Special Reference to Hot and Cold Climates (IPCS 9)

SCOPE 30 Methods for Assessing the Effects of Mixtures of Chemicals (SGOMSEC 3)

SCOPE 26 Methods for Assessing Risk of Chemical Injury: Human and Non-human Biota and Ecosystems (SGOMSEC 2)

SCOPE 25 Appraisal of Tests to Predict the Environmental Behaviour of Chemicals

SCOPE 20 Methods for Assessing the Role of Chemicals on Reproductive Functions, (SGOMSEC 1)

SCOPE 12 Principles of Ecotoxicology

*Volumes that can be downloaded from the On-line Library section

And also:

Neurobehavioral Toxicity (SGOMSEC 11-IPCS 24), EHP 104, suppl. 2.

Susceptibility to Environmental Hazards (SGOMSEC 12-IPCS 28), EHP 105, suppl. 4.

Alternative Testing Methodologies (SGOMSEC 13-IPCS 29), EHP 106, suppl. 2.

Methodologies of Assessing Exposure to Combustion Products: Particles and Their Semi-volatile Constituents (SGOMSEC 14), Chemosphere, December 2002

Methodologies for Assessing Exposures to Metals: Speciation, Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability in the Environment, Food and Feed (SGOMSEC 15), Journal of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, September 2003

Up-date 24 February 2006