Publication Abstract

Aquatic risk assessment of chemicals: Is it working?

P. Matthiessen

This article reasons that we must recognise that the environmetal risk assessment of chemicals has some important flaws which probably cannot be put right by tinkering with the paradigm. Rather than relying solely on increasingly sophisticated risk assessments, we in Europe should begin to redirect more effort into Direct Toxicity Assessment (DTA) of complexdischarges and quality assessment of receiving waters. Although not perfect at present, DTA recognises that chemical risk assessment and monitoring cannot do the whole job, and at least provides a safety net which can detect and identify major pollutant problems before they have a chance to do too much damage.

Reference:

P. Matthiessen, 1998. Aquatic risk assessment of chemicals: Is it working? Environmental Science and Technology, 460A-461A