Identifying uncertainty in physical–chemical property estimation with IFSQSAR

This study describes the development and evaluation of six new models for predicting physical–chemical (PC) properties that are highly relevant for chemical hazard, exposure, and risk estimation: solubility (in water S_W and octanol S_O), vapor pressure (VP), and the octanol–water (K_OW), octanol–air (K_OA), and air–water (K_AW) partition ratios. The models are implemented in the Iterative Fragment Selection Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship (IFSQSAR) python package, Version 1.1.0. These models are implemented as Poly-Parameter Linear Free Energy Relationship (PPLFER) equations which combine experimentally calibrated system parameters and solute descriptors predicted with QSPRs. Two other ancillary models have been developed and implemented, a QSPR for Molar Volume (MV) and a classifier for the physical state of chemicals at room temperature. The IFSQSAR methods for characterizing applicability domain (AD) and calculating uncertainty estimates expressed as 95% prediction intervals (PI) for predicted properties are described and tested on 9,000 measured partition ratios and 4,000 VP and S_W values. The measured data are external to IFSQSAR training and validation datasets and are used to assess the predictivity of the models for “novel chemicals” in an unbiased manner. The 95% PI intervals calculated from validation datasets for partition ratios needed to be scaled by a factor of 1.25 to capture 95% of the external data. Predictions for VP and S_W are more uncertain, primarily due to the challenges in differentiating their physical state (i.e., liquids or solids) at room temperature. The prediction accuracy of the models for log K_OW, log K_AW and log K_OA of novel, data-poor chemicals is estimated to be in the range of 0.7 to 1.4 root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP), with RMSEP in the range 1.7–1.8 for log VP and log S_W.

Scientific contribution

New partitioning models integrate empirical PPLFER equations and QSARs, allowing for seamless integration of experimental data and model predictions. This work tests the real predictivity of the models for novel chemicals which are not in the model training or external validation datasets.

Graphical Abstract