Key words: risk assessment, chemical mixtures, interactive effects, tech support
It is not uncommon for simultaneous exposure to occur to two or more chemical constituents released from medical device materials. In assessing the risk posed by exposure to multiple compounds, it is generally assumed that the aggregate response will be additive, especially in low-dose exposure scenarios. However, the potential exists for interactive effects to occur among the constituents of a mixture that would result in inhibition or potentiation of the toxicity of any individual constituent of the mixture. OST scientists are working to develop a risk assessment approach to determine when interactive toxicological effects among the chemical constituents released from a device are most likely.