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A Revision of Current Models for Environmental and Human Health Impact and Risk Assessment for Application to Emerging Chemicals

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Global Risk-Based Management of Chemical Additives II

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 23))

Abstract

Nowadays, we are living in the global circular economy, where products are produced, used, and finally disposed in different parts of the world. These products have a huge amount of additives, that in many cases can be hazardous if they are not treated properly. The risk assessment of human health and the environment due to exposure to chemical additives is necessary.

In this chapter the risk assessment is briefly introduced. Risk assessment is divided into four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. This chapter also highlights five risk and life cycle impact assessment models (EUSES, USEtox, GLOBOX, SADA, and MAFRAM) that allows for assessment of risks to human health and the environment. In addition other 12 models were appointed. Finally, in the last section of this chapter, there is a compilation of useful data sources for risk assessment. The data source selection is essential to obtain high quality data. This source selection is divided into two parts. First, six frequently used databases for physicochemical and/or toxicological properties (TOXNET, eChemPortal, ATDSR, CPDB, IUCLID, and ECOTOX) are presented. Second, six estimation data tools are pointed. The estimation tools are useful when it is not possible to find data parameters to assess the risk, for example, in the case of emerging pollutants or new substances.

In conclusion, there is no risk assessment model better than another. All models have their strengths and weaknesses. Many of them are focused on one particular aspect such as a single environmental compartment or in a kind of pollutant. It is important to remark that the selection of the data source is essential to obtain quality results.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Analysis and Management Group, Departament d’Enginyeria Química, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007, Tarragona, Spain

    J. Rovira & M. Schuhmacher

  2. Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, San Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Spain

    J. Rovira, M. Nadal, J. L. Domingo & M. Schuhmacher

  3. Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29100, Piacenza, Italy

    T. Tanaku, N. A. Suciu, M. Trevisan & E. Capri

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Diagonal 647, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    X. Seguí & R. M. Darbra

Authors
  1. J. Rovira
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  2. M. Nadal
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  3. J. L. Domingo
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  4. T. Tanaku
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  5. N. A. Suciu
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  6. M. Trevisan
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  7. E. Capri
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  8. X. Seguí
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  9. R. M. Darbra
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  10. M. Schuhmacher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Rovira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Institute of Waste Management and Contam, Dresden University of Technology, Pratzschwitzer Str. 15, Pirna, 01796, Sachsen, Germany

    Bernd Bilitewski

  2. , CERTEC, UPC – Polytechnic University of Cataloni, Pavelló G. 6471a Planta, Barcelona, 08028, Spain

    Rosa Mari Darbra

  3. , Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, c/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

    Damià Barceló

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Rovira, J. et al. (2012). A Revision of Current Models for Environmental and Human Health Impact and Risk Assessment for Application to Emerging Chemicals. In: Bilitewski, B., Darbra, R., Barceló, D. (eds) Global Risk-Based Management of Chemical Additives II. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 23. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2012_171

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