Advances in Consumer Exposure Science: Data, Modelling and Aggregate Exposure Assessment

In a nutshell: Advances in Consumer Exposure Science: Data, Modelling and Aggregate Exposure Assessment. Report on ECETOC Worksop held 26th January 2016, Brussels

Brussels, August 2016

To understand and predict health risks posed by exposure to substances it is necessary to understand both the toxic properties and potential exposure to that substance:

Toxic properties x Exposure = Risk

While standardised, internationally accepted methods are available to understand toxic properties, adequate methods and tools to make accurate and robust exposure predictions are not so common. In addition, there is sometimes confusion and misunderstanding about what tools and methods should be applied to predict exposures for specific circumstances, in particular, predicting aggregate consumer exposure to a substance that might be contained in a number of household products.

The Workshop provided the opportunity for experts from industry, academia and the regulatory community to review and discuss the landscape of the various tools and methods available currently to estimate consumer exposures. Also, by using case studies examined the strengths and weaknesses of the various tools and methods for assessing consumer exposures to different classes of substances.

Based on these analyses the Work Shop participants:

• identified best practices guiding the use of existing tools that are best suited for specific applications,
• produced a set of recommendations to reduce variability and improve quality of exposure predictions, and to broaden cooperation between industry, academics and the regulatory community to drive activities improving exposure quality.

A synopsis of the meeting together with recommendations for improving quality and reducing variability in consumer predictions are found in ECETOC Workshop Report no 31: Advances in Consumer Exposure Science: Data, Modelling and Aggregate Exposure Assessment. 26th January 2016, Brussels.