{"title":"Exposure scenarios for workers.","authors":"Hans Marquart, Christine Northage, Chris Money","doi":"10.1038/sj.jes.7500617","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500617","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The new European chemicals legislation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) requires the development of Exposure Scenarios describing the conditions and risk management measures needed for the safe use of chemicals. Such Exposure Scenarios should integrate considerations of both human health and the environment. Specific aspects are relevant for worker exposure. Gathering information on the uses of the chemical is an important step in developing an Exposure Scenario. In-house information at manufacturers is an important source. Downstream users can contribute information through direct contact or through their associations. Relatively simple approaches (Tier 1 tools, such as the ECETOC Targeted Risk Assessment and the model EASE) can be used to develop broad Exposure Scenarios that cover many use situations. These approaches rely on the categorisation of just a few determinants, including only a small number of risk management measures. Such approaches have a limited discriminatory power and are rather conservative. When the hazard of the substance or the complexity of the exposure situation require a more in-depth approach, further development of the Exposure Scenarios with Tier 2 approaches is needed. Measured data sets of worker exposure are very valuable in a Tier 2 approach. Some downstream user associations have attempted to build Exposure Scenarios based on measured data sets. Generic Tier 2 tools for developing Exposure Scenarios do not exist yet. To enable efficient development of the worker exposure part of Exposure Scenarios a further development of Tier 1 and Tier 2 tools is needed. Special attention should be given to user friendliness and to the validity (boundaries) of the approaches. The development of standard worker exposure descriptions or full Exposure Scenarios by downstream user branches in cooperation with manufacturers and importers is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":520670,"journal":{"name":"Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"S16-25"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2007-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.jes.7500617","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41033413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"REACH epilogue.","authors":"J I M Bridges","doi":"10.1038/sj.jes.7500596","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500596","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>REACH provides the opportunity to advance public health and environmental protection and to boost public confidence in the use of chemicals.Not surprisingly at this stage there are many uncertainties on the details of its implementation. From a risk assessor's viewpoint relevant issues are: The criteria to be used to identify priority substances, The suitability of the available methodology for hazard and exposure characterisation, The independence, transparency and of expertise specified, The compatibility of the procedures with those used for other substances and products, The nature of the database; its accessibility and utility, Availability of experts in risk and benefit assessment. These issues are discussed and key concerns are highlighted.</p>","PeriodicalId":520670,"journal":{"name":"Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"S101-4"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2007-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1038/sj.jes.7500596","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41030226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}