Science and Decisions
Science and Decisions

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2009-03-24

Total Pages: 422

ISBN-13: 0309120462

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Risk assessment has become a dominant public policy tool for making choices, based on limited resources, to protect public health and the environment. It has been instrumental to the mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as other federal agencies in evaluating public health concerns, informing regulatory and technological decisions, prioritizing research needs and funding, and in developing approaches for cost-benefit analysis. However, risk assessment is at a crossroads. Despite advances in the field, risk assessment faces a number of significant challenges including lengthy delays in making complex decisions; lack of data leading to significant uncertainty in risk assessments; and many chemicals in the marketplace that have not been evaluated and emerging agents requiring assessment. Science and Decisions makes practical scientific and technical recommendations to address these challenges. This book is a complement to the widely used 1983 National Academies book, Risk Assessment in the Federal Government (also known as the Red Book). The earlier book established a framework for the concepts and conduct of risk assessment that has been adopted by numerous expert committees, regulatory agencies, and public health institutions. The new book embeds these concepts within a broader framework for risk-based decision-making. Together, these are essential references for those working in the regulatory and public health fields.

Phthalates and Cumulative Risk Assessment
Phthalates and Cumulative Risk Assessment

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2009-01-19

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 0309128412

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People are exposed to a variety of chemicals throughout their daily lives. To protect public health, regulators use risk assessments to examine the effects of chemical exposures. This book provides guidance for assessing the risk of phthalates, chemicals found in many consumer products that have been shown to affect the development of the male reproductive system of laboratory animals. Because people are exposed to multiple phthalates and other chemicals that affect male reproductive development, a cumulative risk assessment should be conducted that evaluates the combined effects of exposure to all these chemicals. The book suggests an approach for cumulative risk assessment that can serve as a model for evaluating the health risks of other types of chemicals.

Handbook of Cumulative Impact Assessment
Handbook of Cumulative Impact Assessment

Author: Jill A.E. Blakley

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2021-05-28

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 1783474025

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This important Handbook is an essential guide to the state-of-the-art concepts, debates and innovative practices in the field of cumulative impact assessment. It helps to strengthen the foundations of this challenging field, identify key issues demanding solutions and summarize recent trends in forward progress, particularly through the use of illustrative case examples.

Chemical Mixtures and Combined Chemical and Nonchemical Stressors
Chemical Mixtures and Combined Chemical and Nonchemical Stressors

Author: Cynthia V. Rider

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-02-16

Total Pages: 554

ISBN-13: 3319562347

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In this book, both basic and advanced concepts are discussed for considering mixtures from initial exposure characterization through evaluation of risk associated with combined exposures. This book will provide an introduction to key issues and multiple options for evaluating both the toxicity of mixtures as well as the risk associated with exposure to mixtures. Additionally, promising tools adapted from other disciplines will be discussed in the context of mixtures toxicology and risk assessment. Finally, the discussion will move beyond chemical mixtures to address incorporating non-chemical stressors into toxicity studies and cumulative risk assessments. Although exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors is the rule, not the exception, consideration of mixtures in toxicology and risk assessment continues to be a significant challenge. This book will be an essential resource for researchers and professionals in the fields of toxicology, epidemiology, exposure science, risk assessment, and statistics.

Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment
Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1994-01-01

Total Pages: 668

ISBN-13: 030904894X

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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.

Approaches to Understanding the Cumulative Effects of Stressors on Marine Mammals
Approaches to Understanding the Cumulative Effects of Stressors on Marine Mammals

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-05-04

Total Pages: 147

ISBN-13: 0309440513

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Marine mammals face a large array of stressors, including loss of habitat, chemical and noise pollution, and bycatch in fishing, which alone kills hundreds of thousands of marine mammals per year globally. To discern the factors contributing to population trends, scientists must consider the full complement of threats faced by marine mammals. Once populations or ecosystems are found to be at risk of adverse impacts, it is critical to decide which combination of stressors to reduce to bring the population or ecosystem into a more favorable state. Assessing all stressors facing a marine mammal population also provides the environmental context for evaluating whether an additional activity could threaten it. Approaches to Understanding the Cumulative Effects of Stressors on Marine Mammals builds upon previous reports to assess current methodologies used for evaluating cumulative effects and identify new approaches that could improve these assessments. This review focuses on ways to quantify exposure-related changes in the behavior, health, or body condition of individual marine mammals and makes recommendations for future research initiatives.

Risk Assessment in the Federal Government
Risk Assessment in the Federal Government

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1983-02-01

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 0309033497

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The regulation of potentially hazardous substances has become a controversial issue. This volume evaluates past efforts to develop and use risk assessment guidelines, reviews the experience of regulatory agencies with different administrative arrangements for risk assessment, and evaluates various proposals to modify procedures. The book's conclusions and recommendations can be applied across the entire field of environmental health.

Unraveling the Exposome
Unraveling the Exposome

Author: Sonia Dagnino

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-10-08

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 3319893211

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This volume presents a comprehensive overview of the science and application of the Exposome through seventeen chapters from leaders in the field. At just over ten years since the term was coined by Christopher Wild in 2005, this is the first, field-defining volume to offer a holistic picture of the important and growing field of Exposomics. The term “Exposome” describes the sum of all exposures (not only chemical) that an individual can receive over a lifetime from both exogenous sources (environmental contaminants, food, lifestyle, drugs, air, etc.) and endogenous sources (metabolism, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, chemicals synthesized by the microbiome, etc.). The first section of this book contains chapters that discuss how the Exposome is defined and how the concept fits into the fields of public health and epidemiology. The second section provides an overview of techniques and methods to measure the human Exposome. The third section contains methods and applications for measuring the Exposome through external exposures. Section four provides an overview on statistical and computational techniques- including big data analysis - for characterizing the Exposome. Section five presents a global collection of case studies

Persistent Organic Pollutants and Toxic Metals in Foods
Persistent Organic Pollutants and Toxic Metals in Foods

Author: Martin Rose

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2013-05-15

Total Pages: 514

ISBN-13: 0857098918

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Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and toxic elements, such as dioxins, flame retardants, lead and mercury, are substances of major concern for the food industry, the regulator and the public. They persist in the environment, accumulate in food chains and may adversely affect human health if ingested over certain levels or with prolonged exposure. Persistent organic pollutants and toxic metals in foods explores the scientific and regulatory challenges of ensuring that our food is safe to eat.Part one provides an overview of regulatory efforts to screen, monitor and control persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in foods and includes case studies detailing regulatory responses to food contamination incidents. Part two moves on to highlight particular POPs, toxic metals and metalloids in foods, including dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalates.Persistent organic pollutants and toxic metals in foods is a standard reference for those in the food industry responsible for food safety, laboratories testing for food chemical safety, regulatory authorities responsible for ensuring the safety of food, and researchers in industry and academia interested in the science supporting food chemical safety. - Includes case studies which detail regulatory responses to food contamination incidents - Considers the uptake and transfer of persistent organic pollutants in the food chain and the risk assessment of contaminates in food - Details perticular persistent organic pollutants, toxic metals and metalloids in foods including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), mercury and arsenic among others

Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Nonhuman Primates
Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Nonhuman Primates

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2003-06-13

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 0309167949

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The field of occupational health and safety constantly changes, especially as it pertains to biomedical research. New infectious hazards are of particular importance at nonhuman-primate facilities. For example, the discovery that B virus can be transmitted via a splash on a mucous membrane raises new concerns that must be addressed, as does the discovery of the Reston strain of Ebola virus in import quarantine facilities in the U.S. The risk of such infectious hazards is best managed through a flexible and comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) that can identify and mitigate potential hazards. Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Nonhuman Primates is intended as a reference for vivarium managers, veterinarians, researchers, safety professionals, and others who are involved in developing or implementing an OHSP that deals with nonhuman primates. The book lists the important features of an OHSP and provides the tools necessary for informed decision-making in developing an optimal program that meets all particular institutional needs.