1 Elaine M. Faustman, Ph.D. Institute for Risk Analysis & Risk Communication Risk Assessment and Communication at IRARC

2 Key Themes of IRARC Research Incorporating new science into environmental risk assessment and risk management. Identification of susceptible populations that are at greater risk to environmental exposures Types of exposures Differential hazards Need to understand mechanisms of response and effect at multiple levels of biological complexity

3 Multidisciplinary and Cross-agency partnerships are an essential part of IRARC Example Agency Groups/partnerships NIEHS/EPA Children’s Health Centers (CHC Center ) NSF/NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Center (H20 Center) Joint Carnegie Mellon/UW Center for the Study and Improvement of Regulation (CSIR) NIEHS Toxicogenomics Center (TRC) Department of Energy Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP)

4 Outline Public Health Context for Risk Assessment Example Center Activities Children’s Health Center (CHC) Oceans and Human Health Center (H2O Center) Center for Study and Improvement for Regulation (CSIR) Common Themes

5 Putting Context on Communicating Using the risk paradigm Elaine M. Faustman, Ph.D. Institute for Risk Analysis & Risk Communication

6 Hazard identification Dose-response assessment Exposure assessment Risk Characterization Risk Management Risk Communications Understanding Risks

7 Translation Is there a potential problem? What is the problem? Who has the problem? How bad is the problem? What should we do about it? What should we say? Who should we inform?

8 Faustman et al, 2004

9

10 One in a Million Faustman et al, 2004

11

12 Residual Cancer Risk Permitted by U.S. Environmental Standards PolicyLaw and Language Regulatory Approach Hazardous CAA: an ample margin of 1 in 10,1000 individual Air Pollutionsafety 1M for the most people possible Toxic WaterFWPCA: to protect public 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 10M Pollutionhealth and welfare Drinking WaterSDWA: MCLGs within an 0 Contaminantadequate margin of safety Levels SuperfundCERCLA protection of 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 1M human health & the environment Hazardous RCRA: Protective of human listing: 1 in 100 K; corrective Waste health and the environment action: 1 in 10K to 1 in 1M Management Incinerators: 1 in 100K grp C to 1 in 1M grps A&B carcinogens Faustman & Omenn et al, 2001

13 Environmental Public Health Continuum Source/Stressor Formation Transport/ Transformation Environmental Characterization Exposure Disease Altered Structure/ Function Early Biological Effect Dose Individual Community Population Faustman et al, 2004