Combining exposure and effect modeling into an integrated probabilistic environmental risk assessment for nanoparticles

Abstract

There is a growing need for good environmental risk assessment of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs). Environmental risk assessment of ENPs has been hampered by lack of data and knowledge about ENPs, their environmental fate, and their toxicity. This leads to uncertainty in the risk assessment. To deal with uncertainty in the risk assessment effectively, probabilistic methods are advantageous. In the present study, the authors developed a method to model both the variability and the uncertainty in environmental risk assessment of ENPs. This method is based on the concentration ratio and the ratio of the exposure concentration to the critical effect concentration, both considered to be random. In this method, variability and uncertainty are modeled separately so as to allow the user to see which part of the total variation in the concentration ratio is attributable to uncertainty and which part is attributable to variability. The authors illustrate the use of the method with a simplified aquatic risk assessment of nano-titanium dioxide. The authors' method allows a more transparent risk assessment and can also direct further environmental and toxicological research to the areas in which it is most needed.

Modeling the Fate and Transport of Plastic Debris in Freshwaters: Review and Guidance

“…The multimedia model SB4N can also accommodate various spatial scales, like regional, continental, and global, but always calculates one average concentration for soil, sediment, air, lake, river, and seawater. It is possible, however, to run models like SB4N for a certain grid, within an overarching model that provides input on a scale of, for instance, 200 Â 200 km [118].…”

“…Exposure then can be combined with effect thresholds in a PEC/NEC (NEC is the no-effect concentration) approach, where the NEC may come from data for different dose response models dependent on the AOP (threshold model, log logistic, Weibull, binary). Due to considerable uncertainty compared to ERA for traditional chemicals, probabilistic approaches are recommended, which can be adopted from recent developments in the ERA of engineered nanoparticles [118].…”

Effects of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles on the Growth of Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Seedlings and the Relevant Physiological Responses

“…However, the extensive utilization of ENPs has resulted in their inevitable and irreversible release into the environment [4]. With ENPs expected to become more widely used, their effect on the environment and organisms has been an increasing cause of concern [5][6][7][8]. As plants interact with the atmosphere, soil, and water, they might be directly contaminated by ENPs.…”

Technical report of the public consultation on the draft ‘Guidance on harmonised risk assessment methodologies for human health, animal health and ecological risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals’

“…The approach has been used for single substances (van der Voet and Slob, 2007;Bokkers et al, 2009;Jacobs et al, 2015) and for mixtures, using a dose-addition model , Müller et al, 2009. The approach has also been used in the ecological area (Jacobs et al 2016 (OECD, 2018). ECPA "Line 1748ff: It should be added that the data by Price et al I for surface water samples have shown that in the vast majority of cases, environmental risk is dominated by one or very few chemicals.…”