Toxicological animal studies are essential to risk assessment. The reliability of the studies depends on the extent to which study design, conduct, and analysis have a high internal validity. Several tools exist for assessing the internal validity of human and animal studies, however, a dedicated tool for animal toxicokinetic studies is lacking. We developed a questionnaire to systematically assess toxicokinetic animal studies...

Using the methodological approach of systematic review several regulatory bodies and associations have performed an assessment of existing evidence on the adverse effects of fluoride. The most recent review by EFSA published in 2025 recommended a fluoride level in drinking water of below 1.5 mg/L and a maximum total daily intake of 3.3 mg of fluoride as safe level with particular respect to pregnant women and the exposed unbor...

Bromate, classified as a EU CLP 1B carcinogen, is a typical by-product of the disinfection of drinking and swimming pool water. The aim of this study was (a) to provide data on the occurrence of bromate in pool water, (b) to re-evaluate the carcinogenic MOA of bromate in the light of existing data, (c) to assess the possible exposure to bromate via swimming pool water and (d) to inform the derivation of cancer risk-related bro...

The use of hydraulic fracturing (HF) to extract oil and natural gas has increased, along with intensive discussions on the associated risks to human health. Three technical processes should be differentiated when evaluating human health risks, namely (1) drilling of the borehole, (2) hydraulic stimulation, and (3) gas or oil production. During the drilling phase, emissions such as NO x , NMVOCs (non-methane volatile organic co...