Obtaining such information is a complex undertaking since it must rely on laboratory animals as surrogates for humans. It requires consideration of the wide range of occupational and environmental circumstances as well as the great genetic diversity represented in the population and the many factors that impact susceptiblities such as age, gender, race, and intercurrent disease.

The Sapphire Group toxicologists have extensive experience in designing both descriptive and mechanistic toxicological studies. Such investigations describe the metabolism of chemicals in the body and their ultimate disposition, and they identify the ways in which tissues are injured as well as the doses that fail to cause injury.

The Sapphire Group also has a business alliance with DuPont's Haskell Laboratory, one of the premiere laboratories in the world for toxicological and industrial medicine. The capabilities of this group of scientists allows us to provide the full range of toxicological studies, both mammalian and ecological.

Our team has designed studies for bulk chemicals, polymers used in treating drinking water, pesticides, fuel additives, carbonless copy paper, and many others. Our professionals apply "good laboratory practices" to the use of toxicity studies to meet regulatory requirements. Equally important, we design and interpret studies specifically to meet product stewardship objectives.

Our toxicologists work closely with our epidemiologists in order to define the weight of evidence for causal relationships between exposures and specific illnesses. The studies we design include all routes of exposure to durations of exposure, from acute to chronic. We also engage in specialized studies addressing all types of functions, particularly reproductive, developmental, central nervous system and assorted diseases (e.g., cancer) and disabilities (e.g., birth defects).

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