Priority setting of existing chemicals

Abstract-Ecological risk assessments for chemical stressors are used to establish linkages between likely exposure concentrations and adverse effects to ecological receptors. At times, it is useful to conduct screening risk assessments to assist in prioritizing or ranking chemicals on the basis of potential hazard and exposure assessment parameters. Ranking of large chemical inventories can provide evidence for focusing research and/or cleanup efforts on specific chemicals of concern. Because of financial and time constraints, data gaps exist, and the risk assessor is left with decisions on which models to use to estimate the parameter of concern. In this review, several methods are presented for using quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) in conducting hazard screening or screening-level risk assessments. The ranking methods described include those related to current regulatory issues associated with chemical inventories from Canada, Europe, and the United States and an example of a screening-level risk assessment conducted on chemicals associated with a watershed in the midwest region of the United States.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An overview of the use of quantitative structure‐activity relationships for ranking and prioritizing large chemical inventories for environmental risk assessments

Russom

Breton²,

Walker

et al. 2003

A screening method for ranking and scoring chemicals by potential human health and environmental impacts

Swanson¹,

Davis²,

Kincaid³

et al. 1997

144

Abstract-Potential impacts of chemical releases are often evaluated by regulators, industry, and others to set regulatory action priorities, to make business decisions, and to target pollution prevention efforts. A chemical ranking and scoring method entitled ''Chemical Hazard Evaluation for Management Strategies'' (CHEMS-1) has been developed as a screening tool to provide a relative assessment of chemical hazards to human health and the environment. The purpose of this method is to place chemical release data into perspective by evaluating both the toxic effects of chemicals and the potential exposure to those chemicals. This is done by combining measures of chemical toxicity pertaining to both human health and the environment with chemical release amounts and information on environmental persistence and bioaccumulation. The CHEMS-1 was initially developed to select priority chemicals for assessing safer substitutes for major product and process uses, where chemicals were selected from Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data and annual pesticide usage data. A two-tiered approach was adopted with CHEMS-1 presented here representing the first, or screening-level, tier.

Priority setting for existing chemicals: European Union risk ranking method

Hansen

Haelst

Leeuwen

et al. 1999

100

In order to provide a legal framework within the European Union (EU) for the evaluation of existing chemicals (i.e., substances listed in the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Substances), Council Regulation (EEC) 793/93 was adopted, in which the evaluation of the existing chemicals is carried out by four steps, namely data collection, priority setting, risk assessment, and, if necessary, risk reduction. To fulfill the priority-setting step the EU Risk Ranking Method (EURAM) was developed to produce rankings that are the basis for drawing up lists of substances, used for priority setting, among the so-called high production volume chemicals appearing in the International Uniform Chemical Information database. The EURAM ranks substances on the basis of their potential risk to humans and the environment by using a simple exposure-effect model, containing both human health and environmental effect endpoints as well as exposure parameters. The EURAM fulfills criteria for a good chemical ranking scheme and has been applied and used as a basis for selecting substances for the second and the third list of priority substances as foreseen under Council Regulation (EEC) 793/93.