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Environmental and Human Health Risk Assessment of Chemicals
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:08:17
Abstract
Application of methods for chemical risk assessment for human health and the environmental according to European and Swiss regulation; hazard and risk; exposure and effect analysis for different types of chemicals. Estimation of missing chemical properties (QSAR methods); critical evaluation of risk assessment methods, presentation of alternative assessment methods.
Objective
The students are familiar with regulatory approaches to human and environmental risk assessment of chemicals and can perform the main steps of a regulatory risk assessment for an industrial chemical. They are aware of pitfalls and challenges and know about new approaches to risk assessment.
Content
Regulatory methods for environmental risk assessment of chemicals (industrial chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals), European regulation REACH, Swiss regulations, international approaches - Human vs. environmental risk assessment - Classification and labelling of chemicals - PBT assessment (persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity) - Exposure analysis: emission patterns, multimedia fate and transport models for quantifying environmental exposure, Long range transport and persistence, predicted and measured exposure concentration for the environment and humans - Effect analysis: estimation of hazard potential for ecotoxicity and human health, extrapolation methods, classification of chemicals according to modes of toxic action, predictive models (QSAR) - Risk assessment methods (deterministic vs. probabilistic), risk assessment vs. hazard assessment, risk management - uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, precautionary principle - Environmental Quality Assessment (water, sediment, biota), Water Framework Directive) - New methods in environmental risk assessment: mixtures, temporally and spatially explicit risk assessment
Resources
Lecture Notes
Slides of lectures, lecture notes for selected chapters and additional reading material will be made available via polybox. Also templates for the exercises and the report will be made available via polybox.
Literature
- Van Leeuwen, C.J., Vermeire, T. (Eds.) Risk Assessment of Chemicals: An Introduction. Springer, 2007 (als e-book in der ETH-Bibliothek verfügbar). - Scheringer, M., Persistence and Spatial Range of Environmental Chemicals. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2002.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC , DR
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise |
Environmental and Human Health Risk Assessment of Chemicals
This block course will take place from 5. to 16. September 2022 with a combination of lectures, exercises and student presentations. Student presentations of chemical risk assessment results will take place on 16.September 2022.
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32 h semesterly |
Offered In
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Minor in Transdisciplinarity for Sustainable Development (This minor will only be offered in the academic year 21/22. As of the academic year 22/23, the minor can no longer be chosen. The course units offered in the minor can still be taken as electives.)
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Doctorate Environmental Sciences (More Information at: )
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