SciveraLENS FAQs

You can archive a Formulation by clicking on the three dots menu and selecting archive.

To review an archived Formulation or un-archive it, find the filter button at the top of your Formulations screen. At the bottom of the filter menu, you’ll see “Archived”. In the drop down menu, you can select “Include Archived” or “Only Archived”. Hit submit. You’ll now see a master list of either all of your Formulations or only your archived Formulations. Click on the three dots menu on the right side of your Formulation bar and select “Unarchive”. Your unarchived Formulation will now show up in your main Formulations menu.

Yes, the CAS RNs you have screened against but archived will still count against your CAS RN limit. Once you have screened a chemical in SciveraLENS, you have gained valuable insight and knowledge on that chemical. The Archive option allows you to clean up your Formulation screen for better organizing. You also have the ability to un-archive a Formulation when needed.

If you don’t have a CAS RN for your chemical because you are sourcing the chemical from a sub-supplier and don’t have that information, you can leverage SciveraLENS to request ingredient information from others while still protecting their proprietary data. Depending on your SciveraLENS plan, once a supplier responds to your request, you will be able to view assessment results for the data they have entered.

If you don’t have a CAS RN for a polymer, check out the steps for assessing a polymer in SciveraLENS.

Concentrations in SciveraLENS should be entered in decimal form (for example 80% should be entered as 0.80) When using Quick Formulation, you can use this format: “CAS RN, concentration”.

Next to each chemical in your Formulation, you’ll see a triangle icon which indicates if the chemical appears on one of the lists you selected when setting up your Formulation. In some cases, you may see a blue triangle. This indicates that there are no list hits. Other colored triangles tell you that the chemical appears on a list select, the type of list, and if a concentration threshold is indicated for a CAS RN in a list, and if the stated chemical concentration in the Formulation equals or exceeds the concentration threshold for the chemical in the list.

Our team of board-certified toxicologists and staff keep abreast of any updates and changes to the lists we manage in SciveraLENS through a range of resources. As these changes occur, our team updates the list in our database which is immediately updated in your SciveraLENS account. If anything changes on a list that you’re tracking, you’ll receive real-time alerts letting you know of the change.

When setting up lists in our chemical database, our toxicologists expand any lists that include chemical groups or families. This means that we identify all CAS numbers associated with a chemical group or family so that you get the most complete and accurate screening results when using SciveraLENS.

In some cases, certain lists may include guidance around concentration thresholds for a chemical. If a concentration threshold is indicated for a CAS RN in a list, and if the stated chemical concentration in your Formulation equals or exceeds the concentration threshold for the chemical in the list, you will see the results in your SciveraLENS details view. If no concentration threshold is indicated for a particular list, you’ll receive notification if your chemical appears on that list regardless of concentration.

The purpose of List screening in SciveraLENS is to inform you whether or not your chemical appears on one of the hundreds of lists that our toxicologists actively track and update. This helps you stay current and receive immediate feedback on regulatory, industry, authoritative, and corporate governance trends and how they impact your chemicals of interest.. When screening your chemicals against these lists, you are ensuring that you are in compliance with these various requirements, or even if you’re using preferred chemistry.

Whereas, the Hazard Assessment results take it a step further with helping you understand your chemicals and any underlying human and environmental health characteristics, allowing decision-makers to proactively identify controversial chemicals for these characteristics prior to them becoming listed as regulated or restricted, so you can make safer chemicals decisions and protect your product, your brand, and your consumers.

Hazard assessments look in depth at how chemicals impact humans and the environment. Our team of board-certified toxicologists look at 23 endpoints or criteria to determine whether or not a chemical poses a high hazard, moderate hazard, or low hazard for a particular endpoint. Our hazard assessment process is consistent with chemicals screening frameworks like UNECE GHS, US EPA Safer Choice, and GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals, but we identify a few more endpoints and information which is why we add the “+” in our GHS+ Hazard Assessment Framework. These details provide you with much more information than a simple list screen, and can help you as you source chemicals and products, formulate new products, identify problematic chemicals, and find safer alternatives based on these criteria.

Hazard assessments need to be conducted by board-certified toxicologists and can be cost prohibitive and hard to understand. One of our main goals is to provide this information in a simple, easy-to-understand, and cost-effective format so users can make more informed decisions about the chemicals they are sourcing, formulating new products with, and can find safer alternatives based on more than just compliance. As a subscriber, you benefit from this expertise and large amount of data, and are better positioned to make safer, more-informed chemicals decisions.

We have a team of highly qualified board-certified toxicologists and staff who gather this data and conduct these assessments. Each assessment is then peer reviewed and verified.

We currently track 16 Human Health Endpoints, 4 Environmental Health Endpoints, 2 Physical Endpoints. We also include Environmental Transformation Products which includes knowledge about chemicals after they have entered the environment and if they may change into another chemical.

This set is consistent with basic toxicological hazard assessment frameworks such as GHS, EPA Safer Choice, and GreenScreen.

As a SciveraLENS subscriber, you have access to our Insight table and can view the individual assessments and summary score for each of the 23 endpoints. You’ll notice at the top of the table, there is a row for each endpoint with the endpoint abbreviation. Some of these endpoints are marked with capital letters. These are considered “Core” endpoints and include

Human Health Core Endpoints:

• Carcinogenicity — Does the chemical have a high potential to cause cancer in humans or other mammals?
• Mutagenicity — Does the chemical have a high potential to cause genetic mutations in humans or other mammals?
• Developmental Toxicity — Does the chemical have high potential to cause developmental defects in unborn or young humans or other mammals?
• Reproductive Toxicity — Does the chemical have high potential to cause damage to reproductive systems in humans or other mammals?

Environmental Health Core Endpoints:

• Persistence — Does the chemical stay persistent in the environment (ie it is not readily biodegradable)?
• Bioaccumulation — Does the chemical accumulate in the tissue of mammals or other living creatures?
• Acute Aquatic Toxicity — Does the chemical have high potential to cause death to aquatic life if present in water over a short period of time?
• Chronic Aquatic Toxicity — Does the chemical have high potential to cause death to aquatic life if present in water over a long period of time?

Core Endpoints carry greater importance in categorizing a chemical for overall hazard and are used when we calculate the SciveraLENS Hazard Category result. Supplemental endpoints are also used in the Hazard Category calculation.

Our toxicologists focus on three main components when conducting a hazard assessment.

1. First, our toxicologists review certain authoritative lists to identify problematic chemicals.
2. Second, we gather data on each of the 23 endpoints we focus on using authoritative resources like:
   – European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
   – US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
   – US National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine (NIH NLM)
   – National Toxicology Program
   – WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
   – Academic Journals
   – Many others
3. In some cases, when conclusive data is not available, we will use modeling platforms (like OECD QSAR Toolbox, UP EPA EpiSuite/EcoSAR/PBTProfiler, etc.) to close data gaps.

Using this information, we’ll come up with a summary assessment giving you guidance on whether a chemical can be viewed as a high, moderate, or low hazard for each of the 23 endpoints.

Our team of toxicologists uses a weight-of-evidence approach to consider scoring for each of the 23 endpoints in SciveraLENS. Experimental data from high-quality studies are considered the strongest evidence for an assessment’s conclusion along with Authoritative Lists. Screening lists, analogous data, and modeled data may be used when experimental studies or authoritative listings are not available–a limited evidence conclusion is drawn in such cases.

Our team of toxicologists keeps GHS+ hazard assessments up to date regularly. As additional data become available, our team updates the hazard assessment information in our knowledge base which delivers alerts to subscribers of SciveraLENS. Please contact us if you are aware of updated information that is not reflected in your assessment details.

HC means Hazard Category and is based on an algorithm very similar to EPA Safer Choice, etc. that uses Core Endpoints (CMRD/PBT) and Supplemental Endpoints (all the rest) and suggests a replace (red), concern (yellow), acceptable (yellow/green), preferred (green), or incomplete info (gray). Check out our glossary/legend for more terms and icon guidance in SciveraLENS.

Hazard assessments are specific to the individual chemical or CAS RN not at the product level.

In some cases, we have worked with brands to generate dashboards that include a roll up or formulation level score that takes into consideration hazard category score and the concentration for each. Let us know if you’re interested in learning more.

In some cases, our team has yet to assess a particular endpoint for a chemical or chemical. When this happens, you’ll see a solid blue light in your Insight table in SciveraLENS. When you add a chemical to your SciveraLENS account, our team can track the individual chemicals that our users are interested in and prioritize any needed assessments accordingly. To accelerate the assessment for a small fee, please get in touch.

Data gaps will result in an Hazard Category Gray for a chemical when present for Core Endpoints An acceptable chemical conclusive (Green, Yellow, Yellow/Green) Hazard Category can be achieved with data gaps for Supplemental Endpoints. Any indication of a Hazard Category Red conclusion will result regardless of the number of data gaps for the chemical. Data gaps will not positively effect a chemical hazard category however the most impact would be a result in a Gray assessment In general, we have configured SciveraLENS with a rule of transparency and caution in delivering assessment results to users. Data gaps are indicated for each chemical and respective endpoint where present. Equivocal assessment results (via modeling or other expert systems) are indicated where applicable. Data gaps can impact an overall assessment in SciveraLENS for Core Endpoints (unless evidence of concern is present elsewhere, including Supplemental Endpoints) but will not affect an overall assessment if data gap is present for Supplemental Endpoints only. There are exceptions. Supporting evidence and explanation is always available directly from SciveraLENS or our team of toxicologists.

We have identified over 210,000 unique CAS RNs drawn from our research of relevant list of chemicals in use (eg TSCA, ECHA, and Canada DSL inventories, research of chemical groups by class or function, research of chemical data for hazard traits and physical attributes, etc). Currently, we have identified approximately 10,000 unique chemicals or CAS RN that are frequently used in consumer products and requested by subscribers. Our toxicologists have assessed over 1,000,000 endpoints for hazard in our Chemical Assessment Knowledge Base and have over 4,500 CAS RNs with fully complete hazard assessments. This means that all 23 endpoints are assessed.

The List Screen step and the Hazard Assessment step are separate results, but they are related. Using both of these steps can be very useful for compare/contrast with each other. When List Screen results indicate a concern for a specific human or environmental health endpoint (eg CA Prop 65 Carcinogenicity) that informs or reinforces the work our toxicologists do in the Hazard Assessment step. When a chemical is not present on one or more lists of interest, SciveraLENS’s GHS+ Hazard Assessment provides critical information about the human and environmental health impacts of your chemicals.

Many chemicals show evidence of concern for one or more endpoints, but have not made it through the often slow and bureaucratic process of getting on an authoritative list. This recurring gap between lists and evidence often shows the deficiencies of the List Screen-only approach, which is the functional limit of most chemical screening tools. SciveraLENS Hazard Assessment step adds this additional, difficult, often prohibitively expensive layer of deep toxicology to give product developers and other chemical decision-makers the deeper knowledge to select chemicals that are (a) not on lists of known chemicals of concern and (b) show evidence of being preferred for underlying attributes — or in some cases, show underlying concern in data (but not yet listed) and therefore can be strategically de-selected.

Finalized assessments include both sets of results for a richer profile for chemicals and formulations. Rules are outlined in SciveraLENS GHS+ Hazard Assessment Overview but the final endpoint score is set by a board-certified toxicologist who may also use expert judgment.

All CAS RNs in our system have been screened and are constantly monitored against the 400+ authoritative, regulatory, restricted and preferred substance lists we maintain. Given the significant effort it takes to do the full Hazard Assessment step, we prioritize the full hazard assessments completed by our board-certified toxicologists as our customers request them in SciveraLENS.

SciveraLENS offers exposure and risk estimation services for users as a service. Our board-certified toxicologists work with customers to establish and document exposure scenarios and then process risk characterizations for chemicals, materials, and products.

Exposure estimation equations are based on ECHA and US EPA consumer product exposure models and risk characterization procedures.

Repeated dose toxicity is addressed consistent with GHS* framework for applicable endpoints (eg Systemic Toxicity, Neurotoxicity, etc.). Repeated dose studies and classifications are included under the endpoint called Systemic Toxicity and the specific relevant endpoint such as Neurotoxicity or Sensory Irritation.

*The GHS is an acronym for The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. It is a system for harmonizing hazard classification criteria and chemical hazard communication elements worldwide.

SciveraLENS® is configured for GHS hazard endpoints and dose-response thresholds by default and is configured for other frameworks as needed.

The amount of time an assessment will take depends on the amount of data available as well as other projects that our team is working on. In general the process takes approximately 2 weeks to a month depending on other factors.

Yes. We have worked with several organizations to provide integrations between SciveraLENS® and their systems. Contact us so we can learn more about the services you’re using and your integration needs.

The use of SciveraLENS assessment results is for a subscriber company’s internal business purposes only. If you are interested in publishing or documenting assessment results outside of SciveraLENS, please contact us for prior authorization as required by the SciveraLENS Web Services Agreement.

• It is also worth noting that list screen and hazard assessment results are highly dynamic. As better information becomes available about industrial chemicals, and toxicological tools improve for filling data gaps, our toxicology team is constantly updating this information in SciveraLENS. The team monitors and maintains over 400 lists and sublists in SciveraLENS. One of the many benefits of a SciveraLENS subscription is that you will always see the most-current assessment results for your chemicals. Because of this, we encourage subscribers and viewers to log into SciveraLENS frequently to view the most current assessment results.

• Toy brands and their suppliers – Product and process chemical data Collection, EU and US regulatory compliance, testing expense reduction, product integrity, alternatives assessment
• Footwear and apparel brands and suppliers – Product and process chemical data Collection, process chemical list screening, product benchmarking, alternatives assessment, etc
• Consumer electronic brands and suppliers – Product and process chemical data Collection, process chemical list screening, product benchmarking, alternatives assessment, etc
• Residential and Office Furniture Brands and suppliers – Product and process chemical data Collection, process chemical list screening, product benchmarking, alternatives assessment, etc
• Household items and juvenile products – Product and process chemical data Collection, process chemical list screening, product benchmarking, alternatives assessment, etc
• Automotive component suppliers – Product and process chemical data Collection, process chemical list screening, product benchmarking, alternatives assessment, etc
• And more!