The use of predictive methods to assess the potential hazard of a chemical has a long history, both in industrial design and in the regulatory assessment of chemicals. If the chemical lacks sufficient testing (i.e. there’s not enough empirical data to draw a defensible conclusion), predictive models are the next line of inquiry. Based upon finding known chemicals that are similar in structure and comparing them to the untested chemical, predictive models vary in their degree of confidence and therefore in their subsequent use. To find out more on how the EPA uses predictive models, assesses their credibility, and which models they’re currently using,

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