Tox21 will screen 50 times as many chemicals
in two years as humans have tested since 1976.
The Toxinator: EPA
’Bot Tests for Poisons
THIS PAGE: COUR TES Y U.S. ENVIRONMEN TAL PROTEC TION AGENC Y. PREVIOUS PAGE, FROM TOP: COURTESY NASA; ALEX DE WI T/COUR TESY THE CHILLI FACTOR Y
;;;; ;;;; ;;,;;; ;;;;;;;;; ;; ;;;;
solvents, cosmetics, and other American
products, but no one knows how the vast
majority of them a;ect our health. For the
Environmental Protection Agency, screening a single chemical can take years and
cost millions. ;e agency has ordered testing on just ;;; compounds and restricted
or banned only ;ve since it gained the
authority to regulate new chemicals in ;;;;
under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
(Among the banned substances are poly-chlorinated biphenyls, or ;;;s, which can
cause cancer and liver dysfunction.)
Now, after ;; years of criticism for lax
oversight, the ;;; is adopting a new technology that promises to put some teeth
into the ;;;; law. In March the agency
introduced a ;; million, six-ton screening
robot called Tox;; that is on track to test
;;,;;; chemicals over the next two years
for just a few hundred dollars each, says
;;; biologist Bob Kavlock. To pick out
potentially harmful substances, the robot
;rst loads samples of ;,;;; chemicals at
;; di;erent concentrations onto a set of
plates. ;en it plunks the plates into a
device that adds cells modi;ed to glow if
a chemical interacts with them. After a
;;-hour incubation, the robot identi;es
which combinations are aglow so that
researchers can perform further testing.
;e ;;; has even launched a Web site
to share results from Tox;; and other
screening tests ( epa.gov/ncct/toxrefdb).
Bisphenol A, an ingredient in plastics that
mimics estrogen and has been linked to
breast and prostate cancer in mice, is
among the ;rst batch slated for screening.
Says Kavlock, “;ere’s tremendous payo;
every direction you look.” ;;;;;;; ;;;;
;;; ; ; ; ;;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; FOR THE TOUGHEST JOBS ON PLANET EARTH® 1-800-966-3458 Made in USA
© 2011 Gorilla Glue Company
Gorilla Super Glue’s
Impact-Tough® formula
creates a flexible bond,
providing a strong, reliable
fix. Quickly bonds metal,
wood, ceramic, paper,
rubber, leather and more!
;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;; ;;;;;; ; ; ; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
