Title

QSAR classification models for the prediction of endocrine disrupting activity of brominated flame retardants

Reference

Journal of Hazardous Materials
Volume 190, Issues 1-3, 15 June 2011, Pages 106-112

Author(s)

Simona Kovarich, Ester Papa and Paola Gramatica

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The identification of potential endocrine disrupting (ED) chemicals is an important task for the scientific community due to their diffusion in the environment; the production and use of such compounds will be strictly regulated through the authorization process of the REACH regulation. To overcome the problem of insufficient experimental data, the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) approach is applied to predict the ED activity of new chemicals. In the present study QSAR classification models are developed, according to the OECD principles, to predict the ED potency for a class of emerging ubiquitary pollutants, viz. brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Different endpoints related to ED activity (i.e. aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonism and antagonism, estrogen receptor agonism and antagonism, androgen and progesterone receptor antagonism, T4-TTR competition, E2SULT inhibition) are modeled using the k-NN classification method. The best models are selected by maximizing the sensitivity and external predictive ability. We propose simple QSARs (based on few descriptors) characterized by internal stability, good predictive power and with a verified applicability domain. These models are simple tools that are applicable to screen BFRs in relation to their ED activity, and also to design safer alternatives, in agreement with the requirements of REACH regulation at the authorization step

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals >> Impacts >> Health impacts
Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies

Keywords

QSAR; Brominated flame retardants; Endocrine disruptors; SVHC; REACH

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389411003116
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

ester.papa@uninsubria.it

Title

A new risk assessment approach for the prioritization of 500 classical and emerging organic microcontaminants as potential river basin specific pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive

Reference

Science of The Total Environment
Volume 409, Issue 11, 1 May 2011, Pages 2064-2077

Author(s)

Peter Carsten von der Ohe, Valeria Dulio, Jaroslav Slobodnik, Eric De Deckere, Ralph Kühne, Ralf-Uwe Ebert, Antoni Ginebreda, Ward De Cooman, Gerrit Schüürmann and Werner Brack

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Given the huge number of chemicals released into the environment and existing time and budget constraints, there is a need to prioritize chemicals for risk assessment and monitoring in the context of the European Union Water Framework Directive (EU WFD). This study is the first to assess the risk of 500 organic substances based on observations in the four European river basins of the Elbe, Scheldt, Danube and Llobregat. A decision tree is introduced that first classifies chemicals into six categories depending on the information available, which allows water managers to focus on the next steps (e.g. derivation of Environmental Quality Standards (EQS), improvement of analytical methods, etc.). The priority within each category is then evaluated based on two indicators, the Frequency of Exceedance and the Extent of Exceedance of Predicted No-Effect Concentrations (PNECs). These two indictors are based on maximum environmental concentrations (MEC), rather than the commonly used statistically based averages (Predicted Effect Concentration, PEC), and compared to the lowest acute-based (PNECacute) or chronic-based thresholds (PNECchronic). For 56% of the compounds, PNECs were available from existing risk assessments, and the majority of these PNECs were derived from chronic toxicity data or simulated ecosystem studies (mesocosm) with rather low assessment factors. The limitations of this concept for risk assessment purposes are discussed. For the remainder, provisional PNECs (P-PNECs) were established from read-across models for acute toxicity to the standard test organisms Daphnia magna, Pimephales promelas and Selenastrum capricornutum. On the one hand, the prioritization revealed that about three-quarter of the 44 substances with MEC/PNEC ratios above ten were pesticides. On the other hand, based on the monitoring data used in this study, no risk with regard to the water phase could be found for eight of the 41 priority substances, indicating a first success of the implementation of the WFD in the investigated river basins.

Policy theme(s)

Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies
Water >> River basin management (WFD)
Water >> Water quality >> Water pollution and safety

Keywords

PNECacute; PNECchronic; P-PNEC; Prioritization; River basin specific pollutants; Pesticides

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969711001136
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

peter.vonderohe@ufz.de

Title

Analysis of currently available data for characterising the risk of engineered nanomaterials to the environment and human health — Lessons learned from four case studies

Reference

Environment International
Volume 37, Issue 6, August 2011, Pages 1143-1156
Special Issue: Environmental Fate and Effects of Nanoparticles

Author(s)

Karin Aschberger, Christian Micheletti, Birgit Sokull-Klüttgen and Frans M. Christensen

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Production volumes and the use of engineered nanomaterials in many innovative products are continuously increasing, however little is known about their potential risk for the environment and human health.
We have reviewed publicly available hazard and exposure data for both, the environment and human health and attempted to carry out a basic risk assessment appraisal for four types of nanomaterials: fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, metals, and metal oxides (ENRHES project 2009). This paper presents a summary of the results of the basic environmental and human health risk assessments of these case studies, highlighting the cross cutting issues and conclusions about fate and behaviour, exposure, hazard and methodological considerations.
The risk assessment methodology being the basis for our case studies was that of a regulatory risk assessment under REACH (ECHA, 2008), with modifications to adapt to the limited available data. If possible, environmental no-effect concentrations and human no-effect levels were established from relevant studies by applying assessment factors in line with the REACH guidance and compared to available exposure data to discuss possible risks. When the data did not allow a quantitative assessment, the risk was assessed qualitatively, e.g. for the environment by evaluating the information in the literature to describe the potential to enter the environment and to reach the potential ecological targets.
Results indicate that the main risk for the environment is expected from metals and metal oxides, especially for algae and Daphnia, due to exposure to both, particles and ions. The main risks for human health may arise from chronic occupational inhalation exposure, especially during the activities of high particle release and uncontrolled exposure. The information on consumer and environmental exposure of humans is too scarce to attempt a quantitative risk characterisation.
It is recognised that the currently available database for both, hazard and exposure is limited and there are high uncertainties in any conclusion on a possible risk. The results should therefore not be used for any regulatory decision making. Likewise, it is recognised that the REACH guidance was developed without considering the specific behaviour and the mode of action of nanomaterials and further work in the generation of data but also in the development of methodologies is required.

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals >> Pollutants/hazardous substances >> Nanomaterials
Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies

Keywords

Nanomaterials; Toxicity; Environment; Exposure; Hazard; Risk

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412011000365
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

karin.aschberger@ec.europa.eu

Title

Mapping Cumulative Environmental Risks: Examples from the EU NoMiracle Project

Reference

Environmental Modeling and Assessment (2011) 16:119-133

Author(s)

Alberto Pistocchi & Jan Groenwold & Joost Lahr & Mark Loos & Marelys Mujica & Ad M. J. Ragas & Robert Rallo & Serenella Sala & Uwe Schlink & Kathrin Strebel & Marco Vighi & Pilar Vizcaino

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

We present examples of cumulative chemical risk mapping methods developed within the NoMiracle project. The different examples illustrate the application of the concentration addition (CA) approach to pesticides at different scale, the integration in space of cumulative risks to individual organisms under the CA assumption, and two techniques to (1) integrate risks using data-driven, parametric statistical methods, and (2) cluster together areas with similar occurrence of different risk factors, respectively. The examples are used to discuss some general issues, particularly on the conventional nature of cumulative risk maps, and may provide some suggestions for the practice of cumulative risk mapping.

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals >> Impacts >> Mixture toxicity
Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies

Keywords

Cumulative environmental risk,
GIS mapping, Mixtures, Multiple stressors, Pesticides, Metals, Spatial distribution

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/h1r16j4q07467u27/
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

alberto.pistocchi@eurac.edu

Title

Cumulative risk assessment of chemical exposures in urban environments

Reference

Environment International
Volume 37, Issue 5, July 2011, Pages 872-881

Author(s)

Ad M.J. Ragas, R. Oldenkamp, N.L. Preeker, J. Wernicke and U. Schlink

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

We performed a cumulative risk assessment for people living in a hypothetical urban environment, called Urbania. The main aims of the study were to demonstrate how a cumulative risk assessment for a middle-sized European city can be performed and to identify the bottlenecks in terms of data availability and knowledge gaps. The assessment focused on five air pollutants (i.e., PM10, benzene, toluene, nonane and naphthalene) and six food pesticides (i.e., acetamiprid, carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, imidacloprid and permethrin). Exposure predictions showed that PM10, benzene and naphthalene exposure frequently exceeded the standards, and that the indoor environment contributed more than the outdoor environment. Effect predictions showed that mixture and interaction effects were generally limited. However, model calculations indicated potential synergistic effects between naphthalene and benzene and between chlorpyrifos, diazinon and toluene. PM10 dominated the health impact expressed in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). We conclude that measures to reduce the health impact of environmental pollution should focus on the improvement of indoor air quality and the reduction of PM10 emissions. Cumulative risk assessment can be improved by (1) the development of person-oriented exposure models that can simulate the cumulative exposure history of individuals, (2) a better mechanistic understanding of the effects of cumulative stressors, and (3) the development of instruments to prioritize stressors for inclusion in cumulative risk assessments.

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals >> Impacts >> Health impacts
Chemicals >> Impacts >> Mixture toxicity
Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies
Risk assessment >> Hazards >> Hazardous substances

Keywords

Multiple stress, Risk assessment, Exposure assessment, Effect assessment; Hazard index, DALY

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412011000468
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

A.Ragas@science.ru.nl

Title

Reference

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management

Author(s)

Tuomo M. Saloranta, Anders Ruus, Katrine Borgå

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The Norwegian guidelines for risk assessment of contaminated sediments are used to identify areas of concern where remediation may be needed to meet the governmental long-term goal of clean fjords and harbors along the Norwegian coastline. By a thorough sensitivity analysis, this study identifies the most influential factors and parameters for the Tier 2A model in this risk guideline, which are used to estimate fluxes of contaminants from sediments due to diffusion and bioturbation (Fdiff), resuspension caused by ship traffic (Fskipnorm), and uptake and predation of benthic biota (Forg). The sensitivity analysis is run for 36 different scenarios combining 3 different sizes of contaminated area, 3 harbor types, and 3 persistent organic pollutants, namely lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane), benzo[a]pyrene, and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153), as well as the metal mercury (Hg). The most influential parameters vary from scenario to scenario, but generally 5 parameters appear to be particularly influential for the fluxes and transport estimated by the Tier 2A model: flux of organic carbon to sediment (OCsed), factor for increased diffusion due to bioturbation (a), sediment-water partitioning coefficient (Kd), benthic biota-water bioconcentration factor (BCFfisk), and mass of resuspended fine sediment during arrival or departure of a ship (msed). We also quantify which of the 3 fluxes (Fdiff, Fskipnorm, and Forg) dominate in the different scenarios. Our sensitivity analysis results can be used by authorities, problem owners, consultants, and environmental managers involved in contaminated sediment management to gain insight on the key processes and parameters and to focus their site-specific or laboratory-based measurement efforts on the key parameters and thus increase efficiency and reliability in the contaminated sediment risk assessment.

Policy theme(s)

Risk assessment>>Risk assessment methodologies
Water>> Water quality>>Water pollution and safety

Keywords

Contaminated sediments; Remediation plans; Sensitivity analysis; Contaminant flux

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ieam.188/abstract
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

tuomo.saloranta@gmail.com

Title

Environmental and health effects of nanomaterials in nanotextiles and
façade coatings

Reference

Environment International (2011)
Volume 37, Issue 6, August 2011, Pages 1131-1142

Author(s)

Claudia Som, Peter Wick b, Harald Krug b, Bernd Nowack

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are expected to hold considerable potential for products that offer improved or novel functionalities. For example, nanotechnologies could open the way for the use of textile
products outside their traditional fields of applications, for example, in the construction, medical, automobile, environmental and safety technology sectors. Consequently, nanotextiles could become ubiquitous inindustrial and consumer products in future. Another ubiquitous field of application for ENM is façade coatings.The environment and human health could be affected by unintended release of ENM from these products. The product life cycle and the product design determine the various environmental and health exposure
situations. For example, ENM unintentionally released from geotextiles will probably end up in soils, whereas ENM unintentionally released from T-shirts may come into direct contact with humans and end up in
wastewater. In this paper we have assessed the state of the art of ENM effects on the environment and human health on the basis of selected environmental and nanotoxicological studies and on our own environmental
exposure modeling studies. Here, we focused on ENM that are already applied or may be applied in future to textile products and façade coatings. These ENM's are mainly nanosilver (nano-Ag), nano titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2), nano silica (nano-SiO2), nano zinc oxide (nano-ZnO), nano alumina (nano-Al2O3), layered silica (e.g. montmorillonite, Al2[(OH)2/Si4O10]·nH2O), carbon black, and carbon nanotubes (CNT). Knowing full well that innovators have to take decisions today, we have presented some criteria that should be useful in systematically analyzing and interpreting the state of the art on the effects of ENM. For the environment we established the following criteria: (1) the indication for hazardous effects, (2) dissolution in water increases/decreases toxic effects, (3) tendency for agglomeration or sedimentation, (4) fate during waste water
treatment, and (5) stability during incineration. For human health the following criteria were defined:(1) acute toxicity, (2) chronic toxicity, (3) impairment of DNA, (4) crossing and damaging of tissue barriers, (5) brain damage and translocation and effects of ENM in the (6) skin, (7) gastrointestinal or (8) respiratory tract. Interestingly, some ENM might affect the environment less severely than they might affect human health, whereas the case for others is vice versa. This is especially true for CNT. The assessment of the environmental risks is highly dependent on the respective product life cycles and on the amounts of ENM produced globally.

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals>>Pollutants/hazardous substances>>Nanomaterials
Risk assessment>>Risk assessment methodologies

Keywords

Environment, Health, Nanomaterials, Life cycle, Nanotextiles, Façade coatings

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412011000444
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

claudia.som@empa.ch

Title

Reference

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Volume 173, Numbers 1-4, 653-667
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1413-8

Author(s)

Ali Hosseini, Justin Emrys Brown, Mark Dowdall, William Standring and Per Strand

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Significant shifts in opinion regarding environmental protection from ionising radiation have resulted in the development and availability of bespoke approaches for the assessment of impacts on wildlife from radioactive contaminants. The application of such assessment methodologies to actual situations, however, remains relatively limited. This paper describes the implementation of the ERICA Integrated Approach and associated tools within the context of routine discharges of radioactive materials to a freshwater environment. The article follows the implementation through its relevant stages and discusses strengths and weaknesses of the approach in relation to the case study. For current discharge levels, 137Cs and 60Co constitute the main dose contributors to the majority of reference organisms studied, although 241Am and 3H are the main contributors for the phyto- and zooplankton categories. Patterns are observed depending on whether the reference organism is sediment-associated or not. At current discharge levels, none of the reference organisms exceeded or approached the selected screening level, and impacts on biota could be regarded as negligible.

Policy theme(s)

Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies
Water >> Water quality >> Water pollution and safety
Water >> Water and biodiversity

Keywords

Environmental impact assessment, Radioactivity, Wildlife, Freshwater

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/m877n73u13414nw2/
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

justin.brown@nrpa.no

Title

The SAFE FOODS Risk Analysis Framework suitable for GMOs? A case study

Reference

Food Control
Volume 21, Issue 12, December 2010, Pages 1662-1676

Author(s)

Harry A. Kuiper and Howard V. Davies

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

This paper describes the current EU regulatory framework for risk analysis of genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation and market introduction of derived food/feed. Furthermore the risk assessment strategies for GM cropsand derived food/feed as designed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are described on which international agreement exists. Existing flaws in the EU regulatory framework for GMOs have been identified and proposals are put forward to improve current risk analysis procedures for GMOs by taking the SAFE FOODS Risk Analysis Framework into account. The SAFE FOODS framework describes an iterative decision-making process with four distinct stages i.e. framing, risk-benefit assessment, evaluation, and risk management which includes decision-making, and implementation, and a final review stage. Three major changes compared to current risk analyses practices are proposed, i.e. (i) the addition of a formal framing stage, during which problem formulation and the objectives of the risk analysis are established, (ii) enlargement of the scope of the risk assessment, by including the assessment of potential benefits, and an impact analysis of social and economic aspects, and (iii) addition of a formal evaluation stage, in order to weigh risks, costs and benefits and their distribution. Furthermore a broader participation of certain entities, organisations and individual citizens in specific segments of the risk analysis process, in particular in the framing and evaluation stage, is proposed. The proposed changes in current risk analyses practises may contribute to restore consumer confidence in risk analysis process of GMOs in the EU.

Policy theme(s)

Biotechnology >> GMOs
Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies
Environmental information services >> Environmental communication >> Stakeholder/public engagement

Keywords

Risk analysis, Risk-benefit assessment, Risk management, Foods, Genetically modified crops and derived, foods and feed, EU regulatory framework, Social- and economic impact analysis, Stakeholders participation

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713510000721
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

harry.kuiper@wur.nl