1. Two-day training course on: Chemical Risk Assessment for the Environment. Day 1.
Adam Peters and Graham Merrington
2017

2. Course format and expectations Aims and objectives
Introductions
Course format and expectations
Day 1
Aims and objectives
The risk assessment paradigm
The never ending journey – PECs/PNECs
Protection goals
Regulatory Drivers
2017

3. Introductions Adam Peters…. Graham Merrington….. Post doc
Environment Agency
SEPA
wca
Graham Merrington…..
Lecturer – B’mouth, Adelaide
2017

4. Course format and expectations
Slides - booklet
Tests
Discussions
Exercises……(excel sheet of datasets)
Questions and perhaps, some answers?!
Resources – wca-environment.com
Or?
2016

5. Aims and Objectives Good practice in chemical risk assessment
Behaviour, fate, hazards of chemicals
Where in the environment?
Regulatory context (who cares?)
If I can’t do it, where can I find the information I need?!
Avoiding the major pitfalls!
Getting a start (not a finish)
2016

6. The risk assessment paradigm
Firstly, get a nice complicated, interminable diagram
Then spend a lifetime trying to work out what it means
Quote endlessly from the diagram…..
When asked about what it means, suck air through teeth, shake head from side to side and say “well, I’m afraid it is very complicated.
Or, you could try and keep it simple?
2016

7. The risk assessment paradigm
Model or measure chemical in environment (this is the exposure)
Compare this to the environmental hazards of the chemical (this is the effects)
Characterise the risk….Exposure concentration/effect concentration
Refine….(get better exposure or effects data)
2017

8. The never ending journey?
Refinements…..iterate.
Effort invested commensurate with level of assessment:
Screening, quick, precautionary but often quite uncertain
Specific, more time, better data, less precautionary, more certain (scales!)
Exposure: Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PEC) or Measured Environmental Concentrations (MEC)
Effects: Predicted No Effect Concentrations (PNEC) More ecotox data (Nickel?), higher-tier data, understand mode of action?
2017

9. Protection goals and points of protection
Often defined (badly or not at all) in legislation
POINT OF PRODUCTION
controls on raw materials, processes
POINT OF EMISSION
limits on emissions e.g. discharge permits
POINT OF CONTACT
limits in ambient environment
Most chemical standards apply here but may be translated into controls at point of emission
INTERNAL DOSE
limits on body burdens
2017

10. Regulatory drivers
Many regulatory drivers require assessment of potential chemical risks
REACH
Human and Vet meds (although no notice is taken of ERA for human meds)
Biocides
Plant Protection Products
Cosmetics
Wastes and Sewage Sludges
Industrial Emissions Directive?
Important to note, an Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) is NOT a PNEC. Why?
2017

11. Questions……….. Is there any difference between hazard and risk…?
In the environment, ecosystems are exposed to mixtures of chemicals. Why do we not regulate for this?
When you’ve done an assessment, how do you know it is right?
Will we be covering any human health related issues?
2017

12. 2016