Ecological risk assessment verification

As mentioned before, the ecological risk assessment is characterized by a problem formulation process, analysis containing characterizations of exposure and effects, and a risk characterization process. Several outlying boxes serve to emphasize the importance of discussions during the problem formulation process between the risk assessor and the risk manager, and the critical nature of the acquisition of new data, verification of the risk assessment, and monitoring. The next few sections detail each aspect of this framework. 

Schematic of the framework for ecological risk assessment (U.S. EPA1992). Especially important is the interaction between exposure and hazard and the inclusion of a data acquisition, verification, and monitoring component. Multivariate analyses will have a major impact on the selection or assessment and measurement endpoints and will play a major role in the data acquisition, verification, and monitoring phase.

Other important companion activities to ecological risk assessment include data acquisition and verification and monitoring studies. New data are frequently required to conduct analyses that are performed during the risk assessment. Data from verification studies can be used to validate the predictions of a specific risk assessment as well as to evaluate the usefulness of... 

Figure 1 also indicates a role for verification and monitoring in the framework. Verification can include validation of the ecological risk assessment process as well as confirmation of specific predictions made during a risk assessment. Monitoring can aid in the verification process and may identify additional topics for risk assessment. Verification and monitoring can help determine the overall effectiveness of the framework approach, provide necessary feedback concerning the need for future modifications of the framework, help evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of policy decisions, and point out the need for new or improved scientific techniques (U.S. EPA, in press-a). 

FIGURE 9.3 Use of calibration, verification, and validation in ecological models that have been used to assess the risk of pesticides for nontarget organisms in papers published between... 

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