Perspectives on Relevancy Assessment for Non-Standard Ecotoxicity Data in Environment Quality Standard derivation:...

A key step in deriving an Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) is assessing the reliability and relevance of the underpinning ecotoxicity data. While the assessment of data reliability is relatively well established, the detailed evaluation of data relevancy is a more recent development. We applied broadly accepted relevancy criteria to a series of non-standard ecotoxicity studies on diclofenac, focusing on some aspects that should be accounted for in studies used in EQS derivation. Specific relevancy issues include potential experimental bias, claimed 'significant effects' that are indistinguishable from controls, or within the range of normal, and lack of environmental applicability. We highlight that rigorous, comprehensive and, where necessary, specialist assessment of data relevancy for studies potentially applicable for EQS setting is critical if studies are to be appropriately used regulatory decision-making. We provide recommendations for researchers and environmental practitioners to ensure robust accounting of relevancy in non-standard studies is undertaken.