Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment

Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030904894X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 668

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Book Description
The public depends on competent risk assessment from the federal government and the scientific community to grapple with the threat of pollution. When risk reports turn out to be overblownâ€"or when risks are overlookedâ€"public skepticism abounds. This comprehensive and readable book explores how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can improve its risk assessment practices, with a focus on implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. With a wealth of detailed information, pertinent examples, and revealing analysis, the volume explores the "default option" and other basic concepts. It offers two views of EPA operations: The first examines how EPA currently assesses exposure to hazardous air pollutants, evaluates the toxicity of a substance, and characterizes the risk to the public. The second, more holistic, view explores how EPA can improve in several critical areas of risk assessment by focusing on cross-cutting themes and incorporating more scientific judgment. This comprehensive volume will be important to the EPA and other agencies, risk managers, environmental advocates, scientists, faculty, students, and concerned individuals.

Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment

Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030904894X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 668

Get Book Here

Book Description
The public depends on competent risk assessment from the federal government and the scientific community to grapple with the threat of pollution. When risk reports turn out to be overblownâ€"or when risks are overlookedâ€"public skepticism abounds. This comprehensive and readable book explores how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can improve its risk assessment practices, with a focus on implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. With a wealth of detailed information, pertinent examples, and revealing analysis, the volume explores the "default option" and other basic concepts. It offers two views of EPA operations: The first examines how EPA currently assesses exposure to hazardous air pollutants, evaluates the toxicity of a substance, and characterizes the risk to the public. The second, more holistic, view explores how EPA can improve in several critical areas of risk assessment by focusing on cross-cutting themes and incorporating more scientific judgment. This comprehensive volume will be important to the EPA and other agencies, risk managers, environmental advocates, scientists, faculty, students, and concerned individuals.

Pesticide Toxicity to Non-target Organisms

Pesticide Toxicity to Non-target Organisms PDF Author: Johnson Stanley
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9401777527
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 531

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Book Description
The pesticide should cause effect on the target pests and be selective enough to spare the non-target beneficial. The book deals with the pesticide toxicity to predators, parasitoids and microbes which are used for pest management in the agroecosystem. The other beneficials exposed to pesticides are pollinators, earthworms, silkworm and fishes. The book contains information on the modes of pesticide exposure and toxicity to the organisms, sub-lethal effects of insecticides and method of toxicity assessment, risk assessment of pesticidal application in the field. The purpose of the work is to compile and present the different procedures to assess pesticide poising in organisms related to the agroecosystem along with discussions on risk assessment procedures with clear comparison of toxicity of pesticides to target pests and non target beneficial organisms.

Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century

Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309109922
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
Advances in molecular biology and toxicology are paving the way for major improvements in the evaluation of the hazards posed by the large number of chemicals found at low levels in the environment. The National Research Council was asked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review the state of the science and create a far-reaching vision for the future of toxicity testing. The book finds that developing, improving, and validating new laboratory tools based on recent scientific advances could significantly improve our ability to understand the hazards and risks posed by chemicals. This new knowledge would lead to much more informed environmental regulations and dramatically reduce the need for animal testing because the new tests would be based on human cells and cell components. Substantial scientific efforts and resources will be required to leverage these new technologies to realize the vision, but the result will be a more efficient, informative and less costly system for assessing the hazards posed by industrial chemicals and pesticides.

Wildlife Toxicity Assessments for Chemicals of Military Concern

Wildlife Toxicity Assessments for Chemicals of Military Concern PDF Author: Marc Williams
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0128004800
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 725

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Book Description
Wildlife Toxicity Assessments for Chemicals of Military Concern is a compendium of chemical-specific toxicity information with discussions on the rationale and development of Wildlife Toxicity Reference Values (TRVs) intended for use on terrestrial wildlife for risk assessment applications. Substances covered include military-related chemicals including explosives, propellants, pesticides and metals. Wildlife Toxicity Assessments for Chemicals of Military Concern is a much-needed resource designed to meet the needs of those seeking toxicological information for ecological risk assessment purposes. Each chapter targets a specific chemical and considers the current knowledge of the toxicological impacts of chemicals to terrestrial wildlife including mammalian, avian, amphibian and reptilian species. - Provides detailed information on how Wildlife Toxicity Values (TRVs) for military chemicals of concern are derived and evaluated. - Covers wildlife toxicity assessments of explosives, metals and environmental chemicals. - Compiles relevant information on the environmental effects of chemicals on wildlife in relation to public and environmental health.

Toxic Chemicals

Toxic Chemicals PDF Author: Thomas E. Higgins
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439839166
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Catastrophic events such as the Bhopal, India tragedy and rising incidences of cancer in areas neighboring industrial facilities have heightened concern over the use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing and industry. Based on the authors' research conducted in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this book explores the history of toxic chemical release reporting programs, presents data on the toxicity of chemicals currently in use, discusses variables that contribute to the relative toxicity of a substance, compares existing programs for reducing environmental threats, and provides specific recommendations for reducing or eliminating the use of toxic chemicals.

Toxicity Testing for Assessment of Environmental Agents

Toxicity Testing for Assessment of Environmental Agents PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309164869
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
Toxicity testing in laboratory animals provides much of the information used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess the hazards and risks associated with exposure to environmental agents that might harm public health or the environment. The data are used to establish maximum acceptable concentrations of environmental agents in drinking water, set permissible limits of exposure of workers, define labeling requirements, establish tolerances for pesticides residues on food, and set other kinds of limits on the basis of risk assessment. Because the number of regulations that require toxicity testing is growing, EPA called for a comprehensive review of established and emerging toxicity-testing methods and strategies. This interim report reviews current toxicity-testing methods and strategies and near-term improvements in toxicity-testing approaches proposed by EPA and others. It identifies several recurring themes and questions in the various reports reviewed. The final report will present a long-range vision and strategic plan to advance the practices of toxicity testing and human health assessment of environmental contaminants.

Mixture Toxicity

Mixture Toxicity PDF Author: Cornelis A. M. van Gestel
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439830096
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
In the last decade and a half, great progress has been made in the development of concepts and models for mixture toxicity, both in human and environmental toxicology. However, due to their different protection goals, developments have often progressed in parallel but with little integration. Arguably the first book to clearly link ecotoxicology an

Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water

Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water PDF Author: Ingrid Chorus
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000262049
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 701

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Book Description
Cyanobacterial toxins are among the hazardous substances most widely found in water. They occur naturally, but concentrations hazardous to human health are usually due to human activity. Therefore, to protect human health, managing lakes, reservoirs and rivers to prevent cyanobacterial blooms is critical. This second edition of Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water presents the current state of knowledge on the occurrence of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins as well as their impacts on health through water-related exposure pathways, chiefly drinking-water and recreational activity. It provides scientific and technical background information to support hazard identification, assessment and prioritisation of the risks posed by cyanotoxins, and it outlines approaches for their management at each step of the water-use system. It sets out key practical considerations for developing management strategies, implementing efficient measures and designing monitoring programmes. This enables stakeholders to evaluate whether there is a health risk from toxic cyanobacteria and to mitigate it with appropriate measures. This book is intended for those working on toxic cyanobacteria with a specific focus on public health protection. It intends to empower professionals from different disciplines to communicate and cooperate for sustainable management of toxic cyanobacteria, including public health workers, ecologists, academics, and catchment and waterbody managers. Ingrid Chorus headed the department for Drinking-Water and Swimming-Pool Hygiene at the German Environment Agency. Martin Welker is a limnologist and microbiologist, currently with bioMérieux in Lyon, France.

Assessing Toxic Risk

Assessing Toxic Risk PDF Author: Nancy M. Trautmann
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780873551960
Category : Biological assay
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Assessing Toxic Risk is a comprehensive guide to student research in toxicology. It includes an overview of basic principles of toxicology and how they are used to assess chemical risks. It provides simple but authentic research protocols to engage students in the process of testing chemical toxicity by conducting bioassays using lettuce seeds, duckweed, and Daphania. It also contains guidelines for integrating peer review and other collaborative knowledge-building into classroom science. Toxicology makes an ideal topic for student research because it provides a natural link between biology, chemistry, environmental science, and human health; it highlights the connections between science and public policy; and builds critical-thinking skills.

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309070864
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 348

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Book Description
Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment reviews advances made during the last 10-15 years in fields such as developmental biology, molecular biology, and genetics. It describes a novel approach for how these advances might be used in combination with existing methodologies to further the understanding of mechanisms of developmental toxicity, to improve the assessment of chemicals for their ability to cause developmental toxicity, and to improve risk assessment for developmental defects. For example, based on the recent advances, even the smallest, simplest laboratory animals such as the fruit fly, roundworm, and zebrafish might be able to serve as developmental toxicological models for human biological systems. Use of such organisms might allow for rapid and inexpensive testing of large numbers of chemicals for their potential to cause developmental toxicity; presently, there are little or no developmental toxicity data available for the majority of natural and manufactured chemicals in use. This new approach to developmental toxicology and risk assessment will require simultaneous research on several fronts by experts from multiple scientific disciplines, including developmental toxicologists, developmental biologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians.