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U.S. Department of Energy
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Risk characterization: Methods and approaches for ecological risk assessment of priority substances under CEPA

Conference ·
OSTI ID:230915
 [1]
  1. Environment Canada, Hull, Quebec (Canada)
The risk characterization stage involves integrating the entry, exposure and effects profiles of priority substances and estimating the ecological risk. This paper presents the methods and approaches used in risk characterization of priority substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Several approaches are presented to characterize ecological risk with their corresponding strengths and weaknesses: (1) comparing predicted environmental concentrations to predicted no effects concentrations (i.e., the quotient method), (2) refinement of the quotient method and (3) use of probabilistic risk assessment (e.g., Monte Carlo simulation). The issue of probabilistic risk assessment is also discussed in relation to characterizing ecological consequences. The use and applicability of application factors in relation to the quotient method is addressed along with a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, different types of risk communication strategies are examined and their benefits, and limitations, and recommendations for use are presented.
OSTI ID:
230915
Report Number(s):
CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English