Lecture 1 Lecture 1 : The Dynamics of Economic Development, Environment and Health PDF

Lecture 1 Lecture 1 : The Dynamics of Economic Development, Environment and Health Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 1  Introduction Earth faces a triple...

Lecture 1 Lecture 1 : The Dynamics of Economic Development, Environment and Health Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 1  Introduction Earth faces a triple planetary emergency: Climate change Habitat loss Environmental pollution Environmental sustainability – about acting in a way that ensures future generations have the natural resources available to live an equal, if not better way of life, as current generations - UNCED  Concept of Economic Development, Environment and Health Human Health Human Activities for Development Environment Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Human activities for development Industrial wastes Ozone layer Key Industries Air pollution depletion Water pollution Acid rain Agriculture Soil pollution Eutrophication Manufacturing Noise pollution of lakes Mining Construction Global Carbon emission Health Transportation Petroleum warming Charcoal Climate Electronic Change Energy production Food Over extraction of water Water Water depletion Entertainment Saltwater intrusion crisis Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Ecosystem and human health Ecosystem Services Ecosystem (food, shelter, -Biotic Human clothing, medicines, -Abiotic Health water/wastewater treatment) Environmental modifications Human Activities for Development Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Environmental modifications  Construction of dams and irrigation canals provide ideal habitat for snails that serve as the intermediate reservoir host species for schistosomiasis  Irrigation of rice fields increase the extent of mosquito-breeding surface, increasing the chance of transmission of mosquito-borne malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and Japanese encephalitis Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Environmental modifications  Deforestation has increased the risk of malaria in Africa and South America by increasing habitat suitable for malaria transmitting mosquitoes  Uncontrolled urbanization in the forest ecosystem has been associated with mosquito-borne viruses in the Amazon and with lymphatic filariasis in Africa  Proliferation of urban slums with poor water supply systems, inadequate garbage and wastewater disposal systems, and lack of shelter promote transmission of dengue fever, Zika virus disease and chikungunya diseases. Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Environmental modifications  Roads and highways construction leading to habitat fragmentation, with subsequent biodiversity loss, increases the prevalence in ticks of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in North America  Intensive livestock agriculture that uses sub- therapeutic doses of antibiotics has led to the emergence of antibiotic- resistant strains of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli bacteria  Overcrowded and mixed livestock practices, as well as the trade in bush meat, can facilitate interspecies host transfer of disease agents, leading to dangerous novel pathogens such as SARS and new strains of influenza Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Life Cycle Analysis Model Sanitar ? y Landfill Source: Waterpedia  Linear Economy Model M, M, M, M, M, E E E E E T T T T Raw Material Material Manufacturing Use of a End of life of a Extraction Processing of a Product Product Product W, W, W, W, W, P, P P P P D M=Materials E = Energy W=Waste P=Pollution T= Transport D = Depletion  Impact on the environment M, M, M, M, M, E E E E E T T T T Raw Material Material Manufacturing Use of a End of life of a Extraction Processing of a Product Product Product W, W, W, W, W, P, P P P P D M=Materials E = Energy Water Soil Acid rain Air Eutrophication, W=Waste pollution Pollution pollution Ozone layer depletion P=Pollution Desertification T= Transport Global warming D = Depletion Climate change. Impact on human health Circular Economy Model Source; UNIDO, 2020  7 R’s in the Life Cycle towards Circular Economy and SDGs Source: REPSOL Source: OECD  Benefits of Circular Economy  Protects the environment  Benefits the local economy  Drives employment growth  Promotes resource independence Source: UNCTAD  Sustainable development  Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs -Brundtland Report, 1987 Two key concepts  the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given  the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Need for sustainable development  Unmet needs for food, clothing, shelter, jobs  Living standards that go beyond the basic minimum  Increasing population size and unequal distribution of resources  Human interventions in natural systems to meet needs  Depletion of non-renewable resources  Biodiversity loss and species extinction  Adverse impacts on the quality of air, water, and other natural elements Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Requirements  an administrative system that is flexible and has the capacity for self-correction  a technological system that can search continuously for new solutions  a political system that secures effective citizen participation in decision making  an economic system that is able to generate surpluses and technical knowledge on a self-reliant and sustained basis  a production system that respects the obligation to preserve the ecological base for development  a social system that provides for solutions for the tensions arising from disharmonious development  an international system that fosters sustainable patterns of trade and finance Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) - officially known as Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015 Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  SDG Framework  Three Pillars of SDG  Social (People)  Economic (Prosperity)  Environmental (Planet)  Other Ps  Peace  Partnerships Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  15 17 169 230 Years Goals Targets Indicators People Prosperity Planet Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Relevant SDGs for the Environment and Health  SDG 3 – Health (Impact of environmental degradation on health)  SDG 6 – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (domestic water, wastewater)  SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities (air quality, solid waste, chemical waste)  SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption (solid waste, chemical waste)  SDG 13 – Climate Change (temperature, precipitation)  SDG 14 – Life below Water (biodiversity, ecosystem)  SDG 15 - Life on Land (biodiversity, ecosystem) Engr. Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Figure 1. ISO 31000 Risk Management Principles, Framework and Process Source: Guidelines for Environmental Risk Assessment and Management November 2011  Risk Assessment Risk Risk Monitoring and Management Evaluation Management Planning Risk management Plan implementation Hazards Hazards Harm Human -Physical Health, -Biological -Chemical Ecosystem Hazard -Occurrence (Frequency) Risk -Consequence (Impact)  Preventing Removing Reducing Transferring Prevention of risks ▪ An intervention that prevents the ingress of hazards to the system. Ex. -Sanitary grout in wells -Fence in water sources -Screen in open spaces on storage tanks Removal of risks ▪ An intervention that removes the presence of hazards in the system. Ex. - Filtration for turbid water - Disinfection for bacteria Reduction of risks ▪ An intervention that reduces or minimizes the presence of hazards in the system in a tolerable concentration. Ex. Reverse osmosis to reduce arsenic Transfer of risks ▪ An intervention that transfer the responsibility of handling the risks to another entity Ex. Outsourcing, contracting, insurance, warranty Hazards -Physical, (micro)biological, chemical or radiological agents in, or condition of, the environment with the potential to cause adverse public health effects Hazardous Events -An event or a process that introduces hazards or harms to, or fails to remove them from, the environment Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 23 Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 24  Healthy Environment Disease Death Population Exposure Injury Health Envi Clinical Envi Eng Promotion Eng Management Immunization Envi Eng Mothers HH Workplaces Children Urban Schools HCFs Elderly Rural Depression Public places PWDs Stress Diarrhea Dengue Schisto NCD Cholera Malaria STH Rabies TB HIV Waste Food Vectors Animals Objects Water Bacteria Air Virus Parasites Chemicals Particles Poor environmental management Poor sanitation and hygiene Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD and climate change 28 Noise  Air Pollution - a major risk to health Scientific evidence showing that particles smaller than 2.5mm in diameter penetrate deep into the lungs and effect the body more systematically leading to diseases like stroke, heart disease, in addition to the cancers, COPD and pneumonia. Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 29 Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 30 Antimicrobial Water and drugs wastewater -People treatment -Animal Water Pathogens People -Virus AMR -Bacteria Microbes Wastewater -Fungi Animal -Parasites Food Food sanitation Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 31  Immunized Water and Child wastewater treatment Water Excretes vaccine Wastewater Unimmunized derived Child poliovirus Food Food Toilet Weakened poliovirus mutates thru continuous sanitation system circulation in the environment, then it becomes strong again and infects unprotected child Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD 32 GHG emission GHG mitigation Vermin Increasing control temperature due to global warming Water treatment Water contamination More precipitation -Increasing Flooding Vector evaporation increase Sea level rise -Melting of ice caps Drought Water scarcity Disease Heat wave Heat stress Water conservation Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD PPE 33  Hand hygiene Use of face masks and other PPEs Water supply, sanitation and plumbing Cleaning and disinfection of surfaces Health care waste management Safe management of dead bodies Lecture 3 - Health Risk Assessment ESE 158 Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) - the examination of risks resulting from technology that threaten ecosystems, animals and people. - includes human health risk assessments, ecological or ecotoxicological risk assessments, and specific industrial applications of risk assessment that examine end-points in people, biota or ecosystems Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  No Action Cost Adverse human health effects – health risks Environmental Problems Negative environmental effects Cost With Action Benefits (Health or Environment) Capital Operating Expenditures expenditures Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Cost  Various scenarios Health risks Scenario 1: Without a project, with environmental risks leading to health risks, no health benefits Scenario 2: With a project, reduced environmental risks and reduced health risks, with health benefits Scenario 2a: With a project, not 100% efficient project/technology, with residual environmental risks, with residual health risks, reduced health benefits Scenario 2b: With a project, additional environmental risks, additional/new health risks, reduced health benefits Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Various scenarios Ecological risks Scenario 1: Without a project, with environmental risks, with ecological risks, no benefits Scenario 2: With a project, reduced environmental risks, reduced ecological risks, with ecological benefits Scenario 2a: With a project, not 100% efficient project/technology, with residual environmental risks, with residual ecological risks, reduced ecological benefits Scenario 2b: With a project, additional/new environmental risks, additional/new ecological risks, reduced ecological benefits Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Problem Formulation What is existing environmental problem affecting human health? What is the scope and objective of the assessment? Example: Air pollution is causing an increase of lung cancer cases in the city. To determine the extent and magnitude of the problem, a health risk assessment will be conducted for the coal-fired power plant in the city. Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  1. Hazard identification examines the capacity of a pollutant to cause adverse health effects in humans ✓Physical ✓Microbiological ✓Chemical Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Nature of hazards Hazards to health of substances can be divided into the following groups: - acute and chronic effects - local and systemic effects - reversible and irreversible effects Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Health effects Acute effect - manifests itself after a single exposure (or after a very few repeated exposures), such as the asphyxiation, unconsciousness or death produced by overexposure to solvent vapours Chronic effect - will only be observed following repeated exposure to a substance over a long period of time. An example of this is silicosis following exposure to crystalline silica dust over a long period. Local effect - occurs at the point of contact of the substance and the body, for example the effect of a corrosive substance splashed on the skin Systemic effect- action of the substance takes place at a point remote from where it entered the body. An example of this would be the damage to the kidney by cadmium ions following their ingestion. Reversible effect – when parts of the affected body recovers and returns to normal when the exposure ceases. Examples would be skin irritation and anaesthesia Irreversible effect -recovery does not take place, e.g. cancer Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Adverse biological effects Very toxic (by ingestion, inhalation or skin contact) Toxic (by ingestion, inhalation or skin contact) Harmful (by ingestion, inhalation or skin contact) Corrosive (to skin) Irritant (to respiratory tract, skin or eyes Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Toxicological hazards Special hazard - include carcinogens, mutagens, and compounds possessing reproductive toxicity High hazard- labelled as "very toxic", "toxic", "corrosive" or which are skin sensitizers Medium hazard- labelled as "harmful" or "irritant“ Low hazard - substances that do not qualify for inclusion in any of the other hazard categories Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  2. Hazard characterization Dose-response assessment examines the quantitative relationships between exposure and the effects of concern. describes how the likelihood and severity of adverse health effects (the responses) are related to the amount and condition of exposure to a pollutant (the dose provided). Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Quantifying the effects Having identified the hazard, it is now necessary to quantify it, i.e. to determine at what concentration an adverse or toxic effect would be found. This is relatively easy for physical effects such as fire or explosion, but is much more difficult to determine for toxicological effects, where for obvious reasons data are more limited. It is also necessary to bear in mind the effects of the length and frequency of exposure - is it continuous or only intermittent? Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Sources of information human observation, including case reports, epidemiological studies, and, in some cases, direct human studies animal toxicological studies assessment of structure-activity relationships Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Reference values Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  3. Exposure assessment the process of measuring or estimating the magnitude, frequency, and duration of human exposure to a pollutant in the environment, or estimating future exposures for a pollutant that has not yet been released Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Types of exposure exposure in the workplace (occupational exposure) exposure from the use of consumer products (consumer exposure) indirect exposure through the environment Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  4. Risk characterization Examines how well the data support conclusions about the nature and extent of the risk from exposure to environmental pollutant Compare the exposure levels to which a population is exposed or likely to be exposed with those levels at which no toxic effects are expected to occur Rating the level of risk to high, medium or low Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Cost of Interventions Capital/investment cost - Planning, design, and supervision - Hardware - Construction, installation, alteration - Environmental protection - Education about the hardware - Management Recurrent/operational cost - Operation of the hardware - Maintenance of hardware (parts and services) - Laboratory testing and monitoring - Education on proper use of the facilities -Management Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Adverse human health impacts: The Risks Increased burden of disease due to exposure to poor environmental quality (air, water, soil) in different settings (residential, workplace, environment) Increased burden of disease due to unsafe food (contaminated fish, vegetables and other farm produce) Increased financial burden on health care Lost productivity due to sickness or death Note: Sometimes, Actions have also negative impact on health and environment Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Health Benefits Expenses avoided due to avoided illness (health sector, patient) Cost of avoided deaths Value of time savings due to improved access to facilities Value of productive days of workers gained due to avoided illness Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Lecture 4 - Ecological Risk Assessment ESE 158 Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  No Action Cost Adverse human health effects – health risks Environmental Problems Negative environmental effects Cost With Action Benefits (Health or Environment) Capital Operating Expenditures expenditures Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Cost Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Definition Ecological Risk Assessment A process that evaluates the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur or are occurring as a result of exposure to one or more stressors (U.S. EPA, 1992a) The determination of the probability of an adverse effect occurring to an ecological system An assessment that can be used to predict the likelihood of future adverse effects (prospective) or evaluate the likelihood that effects are caused by past exposure to stressors (retrospective). The process is used to systematically evaluate and organize data, information, assumptions, and uncertainties in order to help understand and predict the relationships between stressors and ecological effects in a way that is useful for environmental decision making Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stages of ERA Stage 0 - Planning Stage 1 –Problem formulation Stage 2- Analysis -Exposure characterization -Ecological effects Stage 3 –Risk Characterization Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Framework, stages and and steps Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  DEFINITION OF TERMS Definition Stressor - any chemical, physical, or biological entity that can induce adverse effects on organisms, population, communities or ecosystems - can be a hazardous substance Risk - the potential of a stressor to cause harm to a biological system Exposure - a measure of the concentration of a stressor affecting the organism or organisms within the defined system -dose in tissues of the target organisms Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 0: Planning dialogue Ecological risk assessments are conducted to transform scientific data into meaningful information about the risk of human activities to the environment The purpose is to enable risk managers to make informed environmental decisions To ensure that risk assessments meet this need, risk managers and risk assessors should engage in a planning dialogue as a critical first step toward initiating problem formulation Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 0: Planning dialogue During planning, risk managers and risk assessors are responsible for coming to agreement on the goals, scope, and timing of a risk assessment and the resources that are available and necessary to achieve the goals Together they use information on the area’s ecosystems, regulatory requirements, and publicly perceived environmental values to interpret the goals for use in the ecological risk assessment Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Role of risk managers Risk managers, charged with protecting human health and the It is also helpful for managers to consider and communicate environment, help ensure that risk assessments provide information problems they have encountered in the past when trying to use risk relevant to their decisions by describing why the risk assessment is assessments for decision making needed, what decisions it will influence, and what they want to receive from the risk assessor Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Role of risk assessors Ensures that scientific information is effectively used to address ecological and management concerns Describes what they can provide to the risk manager, where problems are likely to occur, and where uncertainty may be problematic May provide insights to risk managers about alternative management options to achieve stated goals  Risk assessor and Risk manager The ecological risk assessor and risk manager must reconcile societal goals and scientific reality Example of societal goals - protection of endangered species - protection of a fishery - preservation of the structure and function of an ecosystem. Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 0: Planning summary The planning phase is complete when agreements are reached on the management goals for ecological values the range of management options the risk assessment is to support objective for the risk assessment, including criteria for success the focus and scope of the assessment resource availability Agreements may encompass the technical approach to be taken in a risk assessment as determined by the regulatory or management context and reason for initiating the risk assessment, the spatial scale (e.g., local, regional, or national), and the temporal scale (e.g., the time frame over which stressors or effects will be evaluated). Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 1: Problem formulation Provides the foundation for the ecological risk assessment An iterative process for generating hypotheses concerning why ecological effects occurred from human activities Articulates the purpose and objectives of the risk assessment and defines the problem and regulatory action Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 1: Problem formulation Defining an assessment endpoint to determine what ecological entity is important to protect An ecological entity can be a species, a functional group of species, a community, an ecosystem, or a specific valued habitat Once the entity has been identified, the next step is to determine what specific attribute(s) of the entity is potentially at risk and important to protect Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 1: Problem formulation Key steps Discussion between the risk assessor and risk manager Definition of stressor characteristics Identification of the ecosystems potentially at risk Identification of ecological effects Selection of significant endpoints Modelling of the systems at risk for data acquisition Input of data, verification of the accuracy of the model Further data acquisition as required Establishment and maintenance of a monitoring programme Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 1: Problem formulation Products of problem formulation: Assessment endpoints that reflect management goals and the ecosystem they represent Conceptual model(s) that represents predicted key relationships between stressor(s) and assessment endpoint(s) Plan for analyzing the risk Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Assessment endpoints ❑ These are based on management goals identified in the planning dialogue and are critical in providing the direction and boundaries for the risk assessment ❑ Contains measures of effect which are measurable changes in an attribute of an assessment endpoint or its surrogate in response to a stressor to which it is exposed ❑ Include two elements: Identification of the specific ecological entity that is to be protected, such as a species, a community, an ecosystem, or other entity of concern A characteristic about the entity of concern that is important to protect Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Conceptual model ❑ A written description and visual representation of predicted relationships between ecological entities and the stressors to which they may be exposed ❑ Developing a conceptual model allows the risk assessor to identify the available information regarding the stressor, justify the model, identify data and information gaps, and rank model components in terms of uncertainty ❑ Two components: a set of risk hypotheses that describe the predicted relationships among stressor, exposure, and assessment endpoint a diagram that illustrates the relationships in the risk hypotheses Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Analysis plan The final stage of problem formulation in which risk assessors develop a plan for analyzing data and characterizing risk It summarizes what has been done during problem formulation and targets those hypotheses that are likely to contribute to the risk It also evaluates the risk hypotheses to determine how they will be assessed, develops the assessment design, identifies data gaps and uncertainties, determines which measures will be used to evaluate the risk hypotheses and ensures that the planned analyses will meet the risk managers' needs. Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stressor characteristics ❑ Stressors can be biological, physical, or chemical in nature Biological stressors - may include the introduction of a new species or the application of degradative microorganisms Physical stressors - may include change in temperature, ionizing or non- ionizing radiation, and geological processes Chemical stressors - may include pesticides, industrial effluents, or waste streams from manufactunng processes ❑ Particularly important are intensity of use (exposure concentration or dose), duration, frequency of release, timing, and scale Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 2: Analysis A process that examines the two primary components of risk: exposure and effects, and their relationships between each other and ecosystem characteristics It connects problem formulation with risk characterization. It contains evaluation of exposure to stressors (exposure characterization) and the relationship between stressor levels and ecological effects (ecological effects characterization) Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 2: Analysis Provides the ingredients necessary for determining or predicting ecological responses to stressors under exposure conditions of interest Determines what plants and animals are exposed and to what degree they are exposed and if that level of exposure is likely or not to cause harmful ecological effects Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 2: Analysis Selects the data that will be used and determines the strengths and weaknesses of the data Analyzes the sources of stressors, distribution in the environment, and potential or actual exposure to the stressors Examines stressor-response relationships and the relationship between measures of effect and assessment endpoints Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 2: Analysis Steps Select the data that will be used on the basis of their utility for evaluating the risk hypotheses Analyze exposure by examining the sources of stressors, the distribution of stressors in the environment, and the extent of co-occurrence or contact Analyzes effects by examining stressor-response relationships, the evidence for causality, and the relationship between measures of effect and assessment endpoints Summarizes the conclusions about exposure and effects Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 2: Analysis Products of the analysis phase Exposure profile based on environmental fate and transport data Ecological effects or stressor-response profile Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Exposure characterization Describes sources of stressors, their distribution in the environment, and their contact or co-occurrence with ecological receptors For a pesticide risk assessment, the exposure characterization describes the potential or actual contact of a pesticide with a plant, animal, or media The objective is to describe exposure in terms of intensity, space, and time and to describe the exposure pathway(s) A complete picture of how, when, and where exposure occurs or has occurred is developed by evaluating sources and releases of the pesticide, distribution of the pesticide in the environment, and extent and pattern of contact with the pesticide Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Exposure characterization The final product of the exposure characterization is an exposure profile that describes: source(s) of the pesticide and what is exposed (e.g., plants, animals, media), fate and transport of the pesticide and exposure pathways, how often, how long, and amount of pesticide active ingredient and its degradation concern to which an organism or media may be exposed. impact of variability and uncertainties in the exposure estimates conclusions about the likelihood that exposure will occur Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Ecological effects characterization Evaluates stressor- response relationships or evidence that exposure to stressors causes an observed response Describes how toxic a pesticide is to different organisms and/or to other ecological entities (e.g., community), what effects it produces, how the effects relate to the assessment endpoints, and how these effects change with varying levels of pesticide exposure This characterization is based on a stressor-response profile that describes how toxic a pesticide is to various plants and animals, the cause-and-effect relationships, how fast the organism(s) recovers, relationships between the assessment endpoints and measures of effect, and the uncertainties and assumptions associated with the analysis The stressor-response profile is the final product of the ecological effects characterization Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Impacts or ecological effects Some of the impacts or ecological effects that are measured in ecotoxicity tests include: mortality reduction in growth reproductive impairment changes in numbers of species bioaccumulation of residues in non-target organisms disruption of community and ecosystem-level functions Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Interactions and relationships between stressors and ecosystems Biotransformation Biodegradation Bio-accumulation Acute and chronic toxicity Reproductive effects Predator-prey interactions Production Community metabolism Biomass generation Community resilience and connectivity Evolutionary impacts Genetics of degradation Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 3: Risk characterization During this phase, risk assessors Estimate ecological risks Indicate the overall degree of confidence in the risk estimates Cite evidence supporting the risk estimates Interpret the adversity of ecological effects Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 3: Risk characterization The final phase in which exposure and ecological effects characterizations are integrated into an overall conclusion (risk estimation) Comparison of the levels of exposure (estimated environmental concentrations) expected in the field to those levels that produce toxic effects in laboratory tests Includes the assumptions, uncertainties, and strengths and limitations of the analyses Judgment about the nature of and existence of risks Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Stage 3: Risk characterization Use the results of analysis to estimate the risk posed to ecological entities Describe the risk, indicating the overall degree of confidence in the risk estimates, summarizing uncertainties, citing evidence supporting the risk estimates, and interpreting the adversity of ecological effects Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Needed Information Environmental hazard of Sources of environmental At risk entity concern hazards Point sources (for General population Chemicals (single or example, smoke or water Lifestages such as multiple/cumulative risk) discharge from a factory; juveniles or adults Radiation contamination from a Superfund site) Population subgroups — Physical (changes to a highly susceptible (for habitat) Non-point sources (for example, due to genetics) example, automobile Microbiological or and/or highly exposed exhaust; agricultural biological (disease or (for example, based on runoff) invasive species) geographic area) Natural source Nutritional (for example, Different species — mink, fitness or metabolic state) for example, are highly susceptible to PCBs Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Needed Information Exposure Ecological Response Ecological effects Pathways (recognizing that one or Absorption - does the body take up changes in reproductive rates, more may be involved) the environmental hazard tumors, effects on the nervous Air Distribution - does the system, and mortality. Surface Water environmental hazard travel Groundwater throughout the body or does it stay Soil in one place? Solid Waste Metabolism - does the body break down the environmental hazard? Food Excretion - how does the body get rid of it? Routes (and related human activities that lead to exposure) Ingestion (both food and water) Contact with skin Inhalation Non-dietary ingestion (for example, preening/grooming behavior) Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Needed Information Duration and timing How long? Acute - right away or within a few hours to a day Subchronic - weeks or months (for humans generally less than 10% of their lifespan) Chronic - a significant part of a lifetime or a lifetime (for humans at least seven years) Intermittent Timing Is there a critical time during a lifetime when a chemical is most toxic (e.g., fetal or embryonic development, juvenile stages, adulthood)? Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Questions principally for risk assessors to answer What is the scale of the risk assessment? What are the critical ecological endpoints and ecosystem and receptor characteristics? How likely is recovery, and how long will it take? What is the nature of the problem: past, present, future? What is our state of knowledge of the problem? What data and data analyses are available and appropriate? What are the potential constraints (e.g., limits on expertise, time, availability of methods and data)? Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Questions principally for risk managers to answer What is the nature of the problem and the best scale for the assessment? What are the management goals and decisions needed, and how will risk assessment help? What are the ecological values (e.g., entities and ecosystem characteristics) of concern? What are the policy considerations (law, corporate stewardship, societal concerns, environmental justice, intergenerational equity)? What precedents are set by similar risk assessments and previous decisions? What is the context of the assessment (e.g., industrial site, national park)? What resources (e.g., personnel, time, money) are available? What level of uncertainty is acceptable? Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD  Group Seatwork # 2 Each group to provide info on the following: 1. Describe the entity at risk 2. Describe the environmental hazard of concern 3. Describe the sources of environmental hazards 4. Describe the pathways and routes of exposure 5. Describe the ecological response of the identified entity to the hazard 6. Describe the ecological effects of the hazard Stressors and ecological entities will be provided per group. Engr Bonifacio B. Magtibay, PhD