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A case study on the use of exposure-activity ratios (EARs) to prioritize sites, chemicals, and bioactivities of concern in Great Lakes waters

Published by U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Metadata Last Checked: August 02, 2025 | Last Modified: 2017-07-03
As a case study, chemical occurrence data from a 2012 study in the Great Lakes Basin along with the ToxCast™ effects database were used to calculate exposure-activity ratios (EARs) as a prioritization tool. Technical considerations of data processing and use of the ToxCast™ database are presented and discussed. EAR prioritization identified multiple sites, biological pathways, and chemicals that warrant further investigation. Biological pathways were then linked to adverse outcome pathways to identify potential adverse outcomes and biomarkers for use in subsequent monitoring efforts. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Blackwell, B., G. Ankley, S. Corsi, L.A. DeCicco, K. Houck, R. Judson, S. Li, M. Martin, A. Schroeder, J. Swintek, D. Villeneuve, E. Murphy, and E. Smith. An "EAR" on environmental surveillance and monitoring: A case study on the use of exposure-activity ratios to prioritize sites, chemicals, and bioactivities of concern in Great Lakes waters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, USA, 51(15): 8713–8724, (2017).

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