PCRM Scientists Save Animals’ Lives at Dow Chemical
PCRM
scientists saved 675 animals’ lives this month, thanks to
a recent dialogue with Dow Chemical—and some smart science.
In March, Dow was planning an experiment in which a chemical—commercial
hydroxyethylpiperazine, or CHEP—would have been applied to
the skin of pregnant rats. The rats would then have been allowed
to give birth, and both the mothers and their offspring would then
have been killed to study the effect the chemical had on reproduction
and development. Under the Environmental Protection Agency’s
High Production Volume program, companies assemble data on the potential effects
of certain chemicals and often conduct testing using animals.
PCRM toxicologists
suggested that Dow first use a non-animal model to assess whether
or not CHEP would even penetrate the rats’ skin. Dow experts
liked this idea and used modern computer technology to model chemical
parameters based on a chemical’s
structure and other characteristics. The tests showed that the
chemical would not absorb through the skin in any appreciable amount
and therefore would have no reproductive effects on the animals.
Dow then canceled the animal experiment. The outcome was beneficial
for everyone: Dow Chemical saved money by avoiding an unnecessary
experiment, and, most importantly, no animals lost their lives.
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