Uncertainty in Human Health Risk Assessment
2015 Summer Workshops
Date: 15th July 2015
Venue: North East Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineering, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. NE1 1SY
The aim of the workshop was to identify, characterise and address key areas of uncertainty with a focus on developing improved approaches that can be applied to specific aspects of human health risk assessment. The workshop consisted of a series of presentations in the morning followed by discussion in the afternoon. The topics covered in the breakout sessions included:
- Conceptual Site Model
- Site Investigation
- Bioaccessibility
- Exposure
Programme & Links to presentations (* required login)
9:30 am Registration, tea and coffee
9:45 am Chair’s Introduction – Christopher Taylor
9:55 am Uncertainty in general terms* – Andy Hart (FERA)
View of different approaches to uncertainty; developing methods for the analysis of risk and uncertainty
10:25 am Uncertainty in site investigation and the conceptual site model* – Jonathan Welsh (Aecom)
Identifying and minimising uncertainties in the CSM; optimising sampling strategies; modelling and statistical methods to estimate uncertainty; deciding how much uncertainty is acceptable
10:55 am Exposure parameters* – Simon Firth (Firth Consultants)
Review of exposure parameters within DQRA
11:25 am Refreshment Break
11:45 am Bioaccessibility* – Mark Cave (British Geological Survey)
Appropriate use of bioaccessibility in risk assessment; pros and cons of bioaccessibility
12:15 am Toxicology evaluation and uncertainty- where science and society meet – a case study on Trichloroethylene* – Camilla Pease
A case study to highlight how assessment factors and uncertainty can be factored into the overall tox evaulation of a specific contaminant.
12:45 pm Introduction to afternoon workshops
1:00 pm Lunch
1:45 pm Workshops
Delegates will be divided into groups to undertake workshops.
Refreshments will be available during the workshops. Each group will have a facilitator.
- Group 1: Conceptual site model
- Group 2: Site investigation
- Group 3: Bioaccessibility
- Group 4: Exposure parameters
3:25 pm Refreshment break
3:45 pm Workshop Groups report to meeting
4:30 pm Round up of the day and meeting close – Christopher Taylor