How Do Animal Welfare Regulations Impact Toxicology?
Toxicologists often rely on animal studies to predict human responses to chemicals. However, this raises ethical concerns about the welfare of test animals. Regulations such as the Animal Welfare Act and guidelines from organizations like the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science dictate the humane treatment of animals in research. These regulations ensure that researchers minimize pain and distress, use alternatives to animal testing when possible, and apply the 3Rsâreplacement, reduction, and refinementâin their studies.
