Human and ecological risk assessment
HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK
ASSESSMENT
KW2 Radboud Universiteit
2024/ 2025
0
,Human and ecological risk assessment
1
,Human and ecological risk assessment
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT 1: Risk assessment ............................................................................................ 3
UNIT 2: Emission estimation ....................................................................................... 6
UNIT 3: Multimedia fate modelling .............................................................................. 8
UNIT 4: Toxicokinetics............................................................................................... 13
UNIT 5: Human exposure assessment ....................................................................... 20
UNIT 6: Human effect assessment ............................................................................ 23
UNIT 7: Ecological effect assessment ....................................................................... 27
UNIT 8: Eco(toxico)genomics .................................................................................... 31
UNIT 9: Risk management......................................................................................... 34
2
, Human and ecological risk assessment
UNIT 1: Risk assessment
1. Introduction
Many substances and few data. There is a very diverse and intense production and
consumption leading to 1000 substances, sites and species to protect.
- Chemical substances: 100 million.
o Natural substances: build our world.
o Chemicals associated with climate change: they are a small set of
compounds.
o Toxic compounds (130 000): very diverse.
- Geo-hydrological sites:
o River/ lakes (30 million): 1.5 milion need to be cleaned up.
- Biological species (10 million): 10 000 endangered.
To set the right priorities, the risk assessment is calculated based on environmental
problems, select best alternatives and give sustainable solutions.
Experimenting and monitoring are limiting due to financial constraints, practical concerns
(a lot of animals needed), ethical-legal requirements→ incomplete data.
In addition, the kind of information available is difficult to extrapolate from one to another
(disciplinary boundary). Moreover, if you are a company, you will have your data
confidentially (sectoral boundary)→ incompatible data (they cannot be compared).
If there are overarching principles that apply to a lot of species or chemicals, it leads in a
simple model generalised, consisting of few equations and default parameters. This allows
few data generation and collection.
2. Chain
Relationship with risk assessment (chemicals) and environmental assessment.
3
HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK
ASSESSMENT
KW2 Radboud Universiteit
2024/ 2025
0
,Human and ecological risk assessment
1
,Human and ecological risk assessment
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT 1: Risk assessment ............................................................................................ 3
UNIT 2: Emission estimation ....................................................................................... 6
UNIT 3: Multimedia fate modelling .............................................................................. 8
UNIT 4: Toxicokinetics............................................................................................... 13
UNIT 5: Human exposure assessment ....................................................................... 20
UNIT 6: Human effect assessment ............................................................................ 23
UNIT 7: Ecological effect assessment ....................................................................... 27
UNIT 8: Eco(toxico)genomics .................................................................................... 31
UNIT 9: Risk management......................................................................................... 34
2
, Human and ecological risk assessment
UNIT 1: Risk assessment
1. Introduction
Many substances and few data. There is a very diverse and intense production and
consumption leading to 1000 substances, sites and species to protect.
- Chemical substances: 100 million.
o Natural substances: build our world.
o Chemicals associated with climate change: they are a small set of
compounds.
o Toxic compounds (130 000): very diverse.
- Geo-hydrological sites:
o River/ lakes (30 million): 1.5 milion need to be cleaned up.
- Biological species (10 million): 10 000 endangered.
To set the right priorities, the risk assessment is calculated based on environmental
problems, select best alternatives and give sustainable solutions.
Experimenting and monitoring are limiting due to financial constraints, practical concerns
(a lot of animals needed), ethical-legal requirements→ incomplete data.
In addition, the kind of information available is difficult to extrapolate from one to another
(disciplinary boundary). Moreover, if you are a company, you will have your data
confidentially (sectoral boundary)→ incompatible data (they cannot be compared).
If there are overarching principles that apply to a lot of species or chemicals, it leads in a
simple model generalised, consisting of few equations and default parameters. This allows
few data generation and collection.
2. Chain
Relationship with risk assessment (chemicals) and environmental assessment.
3
