Lecture No. Date Topic
1 9/3 Introduction to Course
Course schedule, structure and requirements
Starting page-ending page exercise
Themes of the course:
risk assessment vs. risk management
science vs. policy
Perspectives on risk
Overview of risk assessment
Readings for next lecture
Read: Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS), Chapters 2, 3, 4.1-4.5, 5.7, 5.8
Review: RAGS, Chapters 1.0, 5.3-5.5, 5.9
2 9/10 Hazard Identification
Deciding whether a risk assessment is needed
Selecting compounds to include
Selecting exposure pathways and receptors
Introduction to case study
Homework #1 Handed Out
Readings for next lecture
Read: RAGS, Chapters 6.1-6.5;
Case Study
3 9/17 Exposure Assessment I
Introduction
Rudimentary statistics
Sources of data for exposure assessment
Sampling environmental media
Calculating exposure point concentrations
Parceling data from a site
Homework #1 Due
Homework #2 Handed Out
Readings for next lecture
Read: RAGS, Chapters 6.6-6.9;
Calculating the Concentration Term;
Default Exposure Factors Memo
Review: Exposure Factors Handbook (EFH), Chapters 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1-5.3
4 9/24 Exposure Assessment II
Simple fate and transport modeling
Exposure from direct pathways
Homework #2 Due
Homework #3 Handed Out
Readings for next lecture
Read: Food Chain Paper
Review: EFH, Chapters 2.3-2.5
5 10/1 Exposure Assessment III
Exposure from indirect pathways
Fish, vegetables, beef and dairy
Homework #3 Due
Homework #4 Handed Out
Readings for next lecture
Read: Introduction to Principles of Toxicol.
6 10/8 Dose Response Assessment I
Introduction
Health endpoints
systemic toxicity
genetic toxicity
acute vs. chronic toxicity
sensitivity
Homework #4 Due
Readings for next lecture
Read: RAGS, Chapter 7;
Review: Kociba paper on dioxin toxicity
10/15 No lecture: University is on a Monday class schedule.
7 10/22 Dose Response Assessment II
Animal studies
NOAELS, LOAELS and safety factors
dose-response extrapolation
databases
toxicity profiles
xenoestrogens
First Exam Handed Out
Readings for next lecture
Read: RAGS, Chapter 8
10/24 First Exam Due 11AM
8 10/29 Risk Characterization I
Introduction
Carcinogens
Other health endpoints
Homework #5 Handed Out
9 11/5 Risk Characterization II
Sensitivity analysis
Monte Carlo analysis
Homework #5 Due
Readings for next lecture
Read: Tengs et al., 1995;
Morrall, 1986;
Ruckelshaus (Risk, Science and Democracy);
Harvard Center for Risk Management Reform, 1995
10 11/12 Risk Management I
Allowable risk
Regulatory programs
Criteria and standards
11/19 No Lecture
11 11/26 Risk Management II
Competing risks
The cost of risk reduction
Is poorer riskier?
Risk Trade-off Analysis
Readings for next lecture
Read: To Be Announced
12 12/3 Ecological Risk Assessment
Regulatory requirements
Procedures
Second Exam Handed Out
12/5 Second Exam Due 11 AM
13 12/10 Term Projects
10-15 Minute Presentations