A key step in deriving an Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) is assessing the reliability and relevance of the underpinning ecotoxicity data. While the assessment of data reliability is relatively well established, the detailed evaluation of data relevancy is a more recent development. We applied broadly accepted relevancy criteria to a series of non-standard ecotoxicity studies on diclofenac, focusing on some aspects that should be accounted for in studies used in EQS derivation. Specific relevancy issues include potential experimental bias, claimed ‘significant effects’ that are indistinguishable from controls, or within the range of normal, and lack of environmental applicability. We highlight that rigorous, comprehensive and, where necessary, specialist assessment of data relevancy for studies potentially applicable for EQS setting is critical if studies are to be appropriately used regulatory decision-making. We provide recommendations for researchers and environmental practitioners to ensure robust accounting of relevancy in non-standard studies is undertaken.

制定环境质量标准（EQS）的关键步骤是评估基础生态毒性数据的可靠性和相关性。尽管对数据可靠性的评估相对完善，但对数据相关性的详细评估却是最近的发展。我们将广泛接受的相关性标准应用于双氯芬酸的一系列非标准生态毒性研究，重点是EQS推导研究中应考虑的某些方面。具体的相关性问题包括潜在的实验偏差，声称与对照或正常范围内无法区分的“重大影响”以及缺乏环境适用性。我们强调严格，全面，并在必要时 如果要适当地使用研究的监管决策，对可能适用于EQS设置的研究的数据相关性进行专家评估至关重要。我们为研究人员和环境从业人员提供建议，以确保对非标准研究的相关性进行有力的说明。