Ecological risk assessments are vital for ensuring product safety, managing contaminated sites, protecting natural resources and other applications. A recent study by the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board could make risk assessments even more useful. Committee member and lead author Virginia Dale, ORNL Environmental Sciences Division, said the study found risk assessment worked best when clear management goals were defined early, translated into information needs and developed in collaboration with decision makers, assessors, scientists, and stakeholders. Study recommendations include thorough peer review; increased integration of risk assessment and monitoring program data; more consideration of ecological effects of chemical and nonchemical stressors; and development of standards of practice for interpreting and weighing lines of evidence. "EPA has established a framework and guidelines that have improved the practice of ecological risk assessment," Dale said. "This study presents a number of specific opportunities for making the risk assessment process even more effective." The study was published in the July issue of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, a quarterly publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
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