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Elaine M. Faustman, Ph.D.

Institute for Risk Analysis & Risk Communicationfaustman@u.washington.edu

206-685-2269

Risk Assessment and Communication at IRARC

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Key Themes of IRARC Research

• Incorporating new science into environmental risk assessment and risk management.

• Identification of susceptible populations that are at greater risk to environmental exposures

• Types of exposures• Differential hazards

• Need to understand mechanisms of response and effect at multiple levels of biological complexity

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Multidisciplinary and Cross-agency partnerships are an essential part of IRARC

Example Agency Groups/partnerships• NIEHS/EPA Children’s Health Centers

(CHC Center )• NSF/NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Center

(H20 Center)• Joint Carnegie Mellon/UW Center for the Study and

Improvement of Regulation (CSIR)• NIEHS Toxicogenomics Center (TRC)• Department of Energy Consortium for Risk Evaluation

with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP)

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Outline

• Public Health Context for Risk Assessment

• Example Center Activities• Children’s Health Center

(CHC)• Oceans and Human Health Center

(H2O Center)• Center for Study and Improvement for Regulation

(CSIR)

• Common Themes

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Putting Context on CommunicatingUsing the risk paradigm

Elaine M. Faustman, Ph.D.Institute for Risk Analysis & Risk Communication

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• Hazard identification

• Dose-response assessment

• Exposure assessment

• Risk Characterization

• Risk Management

• Risk Communications

Understanding Risks

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Translation

• Is there a potential problem?• What is the problem?• Who has the problem?• How bad is the problem?

• What should we do about it?

• What should we say?• Who should we inform?

8Faustman et al, 2004

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One in a Million

Faustman et al, 2004

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Residual Cancer Risk Permitted by U.S. Environmental Standards

Policy Law and Language Regulatory Approach

Hazardous CAA: an ample margin of 1 in 10,1000 individualAir Pollution safety 1M for the most people possible

Toxic Water FWPCA: to protect public 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 10MPollution health and welfare

Drinking Water SDWA: MCLGs within an 0Contaminant adequate margin of safetyLevels

Superfund CERCLA protection of 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 1Mhuman health & the environment

Hazardous RCRA: Protective of human listing: 1 in 100 K; corrective Waste health and the environment action: 1 in 10K to 1 in 1MManagement Incinerators: 1 in 100K grp C

to 1 in 1M grps A&B carcinogensFaustman & Omenn et al, 2001

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Environmental Public Health Continuum

Source/StressorFormation

Transport/Transformation

EnvironmentalCharacterization

Exposure

Disease

Altered Structure/Function

Early BiologicalEffect

Dose

• Individual• Community• Population

Faustman et al, 2004