In Vitro Tests for Skin Irritation

The manufacture, transport, and marketing of chemicals and finished products require the prior toxicological evaluation and assessment of skin corrosion and skin irritation that might result from intended or accidental skin exposure. Traditionally, animal testing procedures have provided the data needed to assess the more severe forms of skin toxicity, an assessment requiring extrapolation of the data from the animals to humans (1). Various regulatory authorities have generally required animal test data before permission would be granted for the manufacture, transport, or marketing of chemicals (2) or the formulations that contain them (3).