E-Book Overview
This report gives a broad overview of approaches and experiences on how to assess ecological and human information on health risks. The chapters are targeted to different users. As an example , industrial applications are described, also addressing the need of risk assessments for SMEs. The need of science and policy roles are described. Links to information sources, organisations, software models, EU legislation, and publications are provided.
E-Book Content
PREFACE 9 PREFACE Environmental Ris k Assessment App roac hes, experiences and information sources T h e mission of the European Environment Age ncy (EEA) is "to pro vide the Commu nity and th e Member States with objective. reliable and com para ble informalion at the Europe an level", Among the different goals. the EEA sha ll provide infor matio n for environmental policy development an d implementation and ensure broad dissemination and accessibility. Impo rtant principles in th is context are: pooling of exist ing inform ation and know how and facilitating harmoni sation of data . This is the general background to this product on Environmental Risk Assessment produced by the Monitoring and Assessm ent Resear ch Centre at King's College. London. UK Th e primar y object ive of the work has been to increase the accessi bility (0 approaches. ex perie nces and information sources to this exten sive area. Although, the focus of thi s book is on chemicals. the topic of risk assessment is chosen because of its importance for policy devel opme nt and implem entation, de monstrate d in the work with radiation. chemicals. accident s. cons umer products. food and gen e modified org-anisms (GMOs). Th e managing of the human risks has an especially long tradition. but there is now an evolving inter est to apply the concept on ecological effects. In the developm ent of environmental management systems a