Toxic equivalency factor approach for risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract

The toxic equivalency factor (TEF) method has been developed to evaluate structurally related compounds, sharing a common mechanism of action. Because certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) appear to fit this requirement and are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, these compounds are TEF candidates. Toxicity is often expressed relative to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), the reference standard (e.g., TEF = EC50_BaP/EC50_PAH). BaP‐like toxicity or toxic equivalents (TEQs) can then be calculated: TEQ = S(PAH _i × TEF _i ), where PAH _i and TEF _i are the concentration and TEF, respectively, for individual PAH congeners. Representative TEFs for PAHs were compiled from studies measuring carcinogenic potency and surrogate biomarkers. This review examines the application of TEFs to PAHs with established criteria (i.e., demonstrated need, defined chemical grouping, broad toxicological database, endpoint consistency, additivity, common mechanism of action, consensus). Although all criteria are not satisfied (e.g., endpoint inconsistency, nonadditivity) and more rigorous validation studies are needed, the TEF method is useful when limitations are recognized. Refinements of the method might include incorporation of pharmacokinetic factors and segregation of TEFs derived from mammalian vs. nonmammalian systems to increase endopoint consistency. Probabilistic analysis may also prove useful to assess the range of TEF values reported both within and between human health and ecological risk assessments.