Combining exposure and effect modelling into an integrated probabilistic environmental risk assessment for nanoparticles
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 effectively deal with uncertainty in the risk assessment, probabilistic methods are advantageous. In the present study, the authors develop a method to model both the variability and uncertainty in environmental risk assessment of ENPs. This method is based on the concentration ratio (CR), 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 CR is due to uncertainty and which part is due to variability. The authors illustrate the use of our method using a simplifed aquatic risk assessment of nanoTiO2. The author's 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. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Customer comments
No comments were found for Combining exposure and effect modelling into an integrated probabilistic environmental risk assessment for nanoparticles. Be the first to comment!