10. Risk Assessment Flashcards
What is an environmental risk assessment for?
To predict the likelihood of harmful effects occurring to organisms exposed to environmental stressors
What does an ERA encompass?
Human and ecological assessment
What does a retrospective environmental risk assessment do?
Estimates the risk after the exposure has already occurred
What does a prospective environmental risk assessment do?
Predicts risk based on estimated exposure before it occurs
for example for the regulation of new chemicals
A risk assessment informs who? (4)
- risk managers
- policy makers
- regulators
- the public
What are the 6 components of risk assessment
- Problem formulation
- Hazard Assessment
- Exposure Assessment
- Risk Characterization
- Uncertainty Assessment
- Conclusions
What is problem formulation (2)
- Identify scope and objectives
- Qualitative information gathering
What is hazard assessment
`What is the toxicity? (what effects under what circumstances?)
What are examples of parameters that can be used for the hazard assessment? (3)
- LD50
- NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level)
- LOAEL (lowest observed adverse effect level)
What is exposure assessment (5)
What is the:
- type
- magnitude
- frequency
- route
- duration
of exposure?
What are some examples of methods to do the exposure assessment? (3)
and in relation to lead?
- biological monitoring (e.g. blood levels)
- environmental monitoring (e.g. lead in water, paint, dust)
- questionnaires/surveys (e.g. age of home)
What is risk characterization
Combination of the hazard and exposure information
AKA the probability of harm
Is risk characterization quantitative or qualitative?
It can be either
Example of a quantitative risk characterization
Hazard quotient = expected level of exposure / NOAEL
(a score higher than 1 is concerning)
What is the uncertainty assessment
It evaluates the quality of the assessment and the confidence in estimates.
