"Population-Level Ecological Risk Assessment in the Context of Chemical Substances Management"

Lin Bin-Le

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

  SETAC Asia/Pacific 2006 meeting Proceeding,  (2006/9) 
　

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Abstract

In contrast to human health risk assessment, ecological risk assessment (ERA) takes a perceptible delay due to the diversity and complex of ecology and our insufficient scientific knowledge about the field. A common understanding in the field of ERA is being accepted worldwide in recent years that ERA from the perspective of population persistence other than individual response is more rational. However, current methods for retrieving the information on population persistence by using the current available toxic data on individual survival or/and reproduction, is a dearth. 
We have proposed a useful approach of ERA from the perspective of population persistence called as population-level ecological risk assessment (PLERA), for deriving predicted-no-effect concentration (PNEC) on population-level in the context of chemical risk management. For the purpose to establish an ERA framework that employing PLERA as the backbone, employing the proposed approach in ERA of several chemicals, such as Nonylphenol, Bis-phenol A, Co-PCB, lead, Alcohol Ethoxylate etc., have been investigated and performed. Through these case studies in PLERA, limitations and challenges to performing PLERA in risk assessment and management for more chemicals will be discussed. 

Keywords

Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA), Population-level Ecological Risk Assessment (PLERA), Chemicals, Predicted-no-effect Concentration (PNEC), Risk Management