A Study Guide to Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Chapter 4

Principles for the Assessment of Risks to Human Health from Exposure to Chemicals (1999) International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), World Health Organization, Washington, D.C., Chapters 1-3

Comprehensive Report of Toxicology Endpoint Selection (Relating to the Pesticide Terbufos) (1999) Report of the Hazard Identification Assessment Review Committee (HIARC), Office of Prevention and Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., August 30 memo.

Suggested Readings

Reporting on Risk Assessment:  A Journalist's Handbook on Environmental Risk Assessment Produced by Foundation for American Communications and National Sea Grant College Program, Chapters 1-3

Risk Assessment Information Information System (RAIS): What is Risk Assessment?

Risk Assessment Overview Diagram:

Risk Assessment Glossary

Reference Readings:

Risk Assessment Tutorial

Upon completion of this class, students will:

1. Be able to conceptualize risk assessment as consisting of a set of key stages and processes.
2. Become familiar with key terms used in conducting and discussing risk assessment (e.g. hazard identification, risk assessment, risk management, risk characterization, toxicity assessment, exposure assessment, NOAEL.
3. Understand how dose-response assessment applies to risk assessment.
4. Understand how risk assessment differs from epidemiological research.
5. Be able to explain the role that animal research plays in epidemiological studies and risk assessment.
6. Become familiar with practical and ethical limitations in gathering human risk data.
7. Demonstrate the capacity to differentiate between attributable and relative risk, to include learning how to calculate these forms of risk.

1. Identify the two major questions posed by hazard identification.
2. What is the purpose of hazard identification?
3. Define the terms "target organ" and "critical effect."
4. What is meant by the term dose-response assessment?
5. What is meant by NOAEL?
6. How does risk characterization differ from risk management?
7. What are the 4 stages of risk assessment?
8. What constitutes the databases for direct hazard identification among humans?
9. What are the 3 major types of epidemiological studies? Please describe each type.
10. A positive association between an agent and an effect may be interpreted as implying causality, to a greater or lesser extent, if the following criteria are met: (Identify and describe these 5 criteria.)
11. Why do animal studies play such an important role in epidemiological research?
12. Identify 3 major end products of toxicity assessment.
13. Aspects that are important in assessing the adequacy of in vitro studies include: (Please identify the 5 key aspects.)
14. What are structured activity relationships (SARs) and how are they used?
15. Complete exercises 1-6 on page 34 of A Study Guide to Epidemiology and Biostatistics.