Module 2 Flashcards
ENVS 4113 Midterm
What is the Risk formula?
Risk = Hazard x Exposure
What is Hazard in relation to Chemical Risk Assessment?
Built-in property of chemical’s potential to cause adverse effects to an organism, system or population when exposed to it
What is Risk in relation to Chemical Risk Assessment?
The probability of occurrence of the adverse effect.
What is Exposure in relation to Chemical Risk Assessment?
How much chemical is present
Is the following True or False? A hazardous chemical substance poses no risk if there is no exposure
True
What is the goal of Chemical Risk Assessment?
To have a full understanding of the nature, magnitude, and probability of a potential adverse health or environmental effect of a chemical.
What does Chemical Risk Assessment take into account?
Both the hazard and exposure
What is Risk Assessment?
Forms the foundation of regulatory decisions for industrial chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food additives, and food contact substances in developed countries today.
What is Hazard Characterization?
The dose-response determination (LD50/LC50, NOAEL, T25, EC50, NOEC, etc.) determines the relationship between the magnitude of exposure to a hazard with the probability and severity of adverse effects.
What are the three steps in Chemical Risk Assessment?
1) Hazard Characterization, 2) Exposure Assessment, 3) Risk Characterization.
What is Exposure Assessment?
Identifying the extent to which an exposure actually occurs. Exposure levels are usually estimated or measured.
What is Risk Characterization?
Combining the information from the hazard characterization and the exposure assessment in order to form a conclusion about the nature and magnitude of risk, and, if indicated, implement additional risk management measures.
What is the procedure for following the Chemical Risk Assessment?
Step 1) Gather info and Evaluate, Step 2) Hazard Characterization, Step 3) Exposure Assessment, Step 4) Risk Characterization (RCR = Exposure/No-Effect level)
What does RCR stand for?
Risk Characterization Ratio
What is the formula for Risk Characterization Ratio?
RCR = Exposure Estimate / Derived No-Effect Level (DNEL)
What does an RCR<1 mean?
Means the Chemical Risk Assessment determined the chemical was an acceptable risk.
What does RCR>1 mean?
Means the Chemical Risk Assessment determined the chemical was an unacceptable risk.
What does GHS mean and what’s GHS Classification Criteria?
GHS = Global Harmonization System. It’s used to determine the nature and relative severity of the hazard of a chemical substance or mixture.
What does the term degradation mean?
Is the process by which a chemical substance is broken down to smaller molecules by biotic (biodegradability) or abiotic means (hydrolysis, photolysis, or oxidization).
What does persistence mean in the context of Chemical Risk Assessment?
Persistence, also known as Half-Life DT50, is defined as the time it takes for an amount of a compound to be broken down by half.
What is Abiotic Degradation?
Includes both hydrolysis and photolysis. Hydrolysis in water is often dependent on pH.
What does PNEC stand for and definition?
Predicted No-Effect Concentration – the concentration of a substance in any environment below which adverse effects will most likely occur during long-term or short-term exposure. If PEC/PNEC is < 1 – risk is acceptable.
What is does LOC stand for and how is it used in Environmental Risk Assessment?
LOC = Level of Concern. It is a pre-set number that is used by EPA to represent toxicology or ecotoxicology Effect Endpoint value in a calculated risk quotient (RQ) in risk assessment. LOC represents the hazard in a risk equation.
What does RQ stand for and what is the formula?
RQ = Risk Quotient = Estimated Environmental Concentration (EEC) / Effect Endpoint (LC50, EC50, NOAEC).
What is the LOC in a Risk Quotient Equation?
The Effect Endpoint
What does EEC stand for and what does it mean?
EEC = Estimated Environmental Concentration. Is the estimated exposure concentration or mass of a chemical in the environment and represents the “Exposure” in the risk equation.
What is the Effect Endpoint?
Also known as LOC, it represents the hazard portion within the risk equation. It is determined by toxicological studies and usually associated with the lowest chemical mass or concentration that has a measured adverse effect in lab studies.
What is Toxicology?
Defined as the study of the adverse effects of chemicals or physical agents on living organisms. Toxicology studies are used for hazard assessment.
What are types of toxicological studies?
o Acute toxicity (oral, inhalation, dermal)
o Skin and eye irritation
o Sensitization (skin, respiratory)
o Repeated dose toxicity (28d, 90d and chronic)
o Mutagenicity and genotoxicity
o Reproductive and developmental toxicity
o Carcinogenicity
o Toxicokinetics
What is Ecotoxicology?
The study of the effects of toxic chemicals on biological organisms, especially at the population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. The goal is to reveal and predict effects of pollution in the environment.
Does Ecotoxicology differ from environmental toxicology?
Yes, ecotoxicology integrates the effects of stressors across all levels of biological organization and environmental toxicology focuses upon effects at the level of the individual and below.
What does the term Dose Descriptor mean and where is it used?
It is used to identify the relationship between a specific effect of a chemical substance and the does at which it takes place. It’s determined in toxicological studies and expressed as LC50, LD50, NOAEL, T25, BMD, EC50, NOEC, etc.
Is dose descriptors used in hazard classification but not risk assessment?
No, it is used in both.
What is Acute Toxicity?
Describes the adverse effects of a substance that result either from a single exposure or from multiple exposures in a short period of time (usually less than 24 hours).
Acute Toxicity Studies include 3 routes: What are they?
Oral, Inhalation, Dermal
What is the dose descriptor for acute toxicity?
LD50, LC50
What does LD50 stand for and mean?
Lethal Dose 50% - dose at which 50% of biological life will be expected to die (mg/kg)
What does LC50 stand for and mean?
Lethal Concentration 50% - concentration at which 50% of biological life will be expected to die. Used in air concentrations, ppm.
Is the following true? A lower LD50 or LC50 value indicates a higher acute toxicity.
Yes
What does EC50 stand for and mean?
Median Effective Concentration. Used in ecotoxicology – the concentration that results in 50% reduction in either algae growth (EbC50) or algae growth rate (ErC50). Mg/L
Where are EC50 values usually obtained?
From acute toxicity studies and calculation of predicted non-effect concentration.
What does PNEC stand for?
Predicted Non-Effect Concentration
Define Chronic Toxicity
Studies conducted for >90 days – estimates the effects from long-term exposure to a substance.
What is Repeated Dose Toxicity and what’s the goal?
Estimates the chronic exposure effects from long-term exposure to a substance.
What is essential for the quantitative risk assessment of chemical substances?
Repeated Dose Toxicity Studies
What types of dose descriptors can be obtained from repeated dose toxicity studies?
NOAEL or LOAEL