TR 133-3 – A selection of case studies addressing different components of polymer grouping and RA to put the CF4Polymers into practice

In a Nutshell

Polymers cover a broad spectrum of generally very large natural and synthetic molecules, including cellulose, waxes, and resins. They are also constituents of plastics and play essential and ubiquitous roles in everyday life. The final part of its trilogy of Technical Reports (TR) on polymer safety assessment  looks at seven case studies assessing the usefulness of the Conceptual Framework for Polymer Risk Assessment (CF4Polymers) developed by the ECETOC Polymer Task Force and outlined in the first report of the series. The case studies also evaluate the applicability of tools, test methods and models for polymer risk assessment considered in the second TR. This third TR confirms the value of the CF4Polymers to assess the hazard and risk of a diverse spectrum of polymers. But it also demonstrates there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to determine if any given tool, test method or model is applicable for the safety assessment of all polymers.