A Framework to Guide Selection of Chemical Alternatives (2014) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
9 Integration of Information to Identify Safer Alternatives
9 Integration of Information to Identify Safer Alternatives
Pages 123-134
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 123... ...
points are most important, how choices are For example, if that individual is not considered made in the presence of uncertainty, and the the decision maker, then he or she will need to relative importance of health and ecosystem end have the preferences of the decision maker points bring societal value judgments into the made explicit in the form of decision rules or alternative selection process. This suite of algorithms that can be applied in the face of choices is generally considered to fall within the trade-offs and uncertainty.
|
From page 124... ...
124 A Framework to Guide Selection of Chemical Alternatives FIGURE 9-1 Committee's framework highlighting the integration step described in this chapter.
|
From page 125... ...
Human Health Ecotoxicity Physicochemical Chronic Aquatic Toxicity Acute Aquatic Toxicity Bioaccumulation Carcinogenicity Developmental Acute Toxicity Neurotoxicity Reproductive Genotoxicity Persistence Alternatives H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L C A B TABLE 9-2 Sample Results of Comparative Exposure Assessment Note: >> indicates that the alternative may involve substantially greater exposure than the chemical of concern, ≈ indicates that exposures may be considered substantially equivalent, and << indicates that the alternative may involve lower exposures due to intrinsic properties of the chemical or the specific functional use. Human Health Exposure Routes Eco Exposure Alternatives Oral Dermal Inhalation Ocular Water Air Soil > ≈ < > ≈ < > ≈ < > ≈ < > ≈ < > ≈ < > ≈ < A X X X X X X X B X X X X X X X INFORMATION NEEDED TO ecotoxicity vs.
|
From page 126... ...
upper-left (orange) quadrant, there appears to As discussed in Chapters 6-8, it is likely that be a preferable alternative based on what is there will be varying levels of uncertainty known and best estimates, but uncertainty about surrounding human or ecological toxicity and the findings remain, or there is a critical gap in relative exposure.
|
From page 127... ...
Examples of model uncertainty include cases where the specific mode-of-action of carcinogenicity of a chemical may be unknown or debated, or where there are different interpretations of the evidence from in vitro experiments or in silico predictions, leading to alternate views of whether a specific form of toxicity should be assumed. Fundamental causal uncertainty may take the form of an unclear causal linkage between a chemical and a form of toxicity because of confounding factors and significant inconsistency in the toxicity database.
|
From page 128... ...
The basis of temporarily the best-estimate toxicity value is, in some way, treating an alternative neutrally with respect to downgraded based on uncertainty (for example, uncertainty or missing data is to avoid downgraded by one level for moderate prematurely removing potentially safer uncertainty or two levels for high uncertainty) , alternatives from the evaluation process.
|
From page 129... ...
By not rating of "medium" for developmental toxicity taking these considerations into account, the would necessarily be preferable to a rating of assessor runs the risk of an unacceptable "high" for neurotoxicity. The reason that this transfer of risks (i.e., burden shifting)
|
From page 130... ...
can be consistently applied to make the This approach would also require placing a alternatives assessment process less prone to relative weight on the high, medium, and low idiosyncratic judgments or manipulation of the categories or on the raw toxicity values. weighting schemes toward otherwise preferred Weighted scoring of end points is one of the outcomes.
|
From page 131... ...
The assessment alternatives, but this essentially "outsources" the can be further nuanced by considering the value judgments to an external organization, relative severity of the expected outcomes, if rather than eliminating them. known, using comparative measures of burden These strategies are just examples of a of disease, such as Health-Adjusted Life Years variety of possible means to address trade-offs (IOM 2006)
|
From page 132... ...
. For allow for more complete consideration of analyzing the existing options, it may be useful aspects of the evidence base that involve difficult to note that despite the separation of and unquantifiable evaluations, such as alternatives assessment from risk assessment, conflicting data or conflicting valuations of alternatives assessment does have similar goals outcomes.
|
From page 133... ...
Given that considerations from approaches are appropriate for small-scale later steps in the framework may also eliminate decisions, complex and rigorous treatment is some alternatives, it may be appropriate to appropriate for major decisions that impact avoid eliminating too many alternatives early-on, large populations and have large environmental unless they are unambiguously unfavorable from footprints (e.g., fuel additives, energy use, a health or ecotoxicity perspective. When the common household products, products used by alternatives assessment is motivated by the need children or found in most homes, infrastructure to improve the safety of a specific end point and building materials, and food and agricultural (because, for example, the chemical is on a uses)
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.