Press Release: Tens of thousands of fish to be saved annually – thanks to European Commission breakthrough

The European Commission announced that it would endorse a newly validated test approach for ecotoxicological effects in the environmental risk assessment of new chemical compounds. The ecotoxicological effects (i.e. the harmful effects on plants and animals, populations, or communities) of such chemicals are usually determined by performing tests using algae, water fleas (daphnia) and fish. The new test method would massively reduce the number of fish used in these tests. It was developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in co-operation with scientists from AstraZeneca Global Safety Health and Environment in the UK.