title: Risk assessment and management of new and existing chemicals.
abstract: An evaluation was made of the recently developed risk assessment methodologies for new and existing chemicals in the European Communities. The evaluation also included the methodologies to prioritize chemicals and procedures for risk management, i.e., the (draft) guidance document for the development of strategies for risk reduction. The way in which chemicals are prioritized is accepted with only very few comments. Clear progress has been made in the development and harmonization of risk assessment methodologies and the application of estimation methodologies. Nevertheless, improvements are necessary for the estimation of consumer and occupational exposure, the derivation, use and transparency of assessment factors for chemicals and classes of chemicals based on the mode of toxic action, environmental exposure models and their validation and relation with monitoring data. As far as risk management is concerned it was recommended to improve the integration of the myriad of directives and regulations, to clarify definitions, to provide clear guidance on the determination and weighing of advantages and implications of risk reduction measures and to develop tools, including voluntary agreements, to speed up the slow chemical-by-chemical approach.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Hague, Netherlands.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Van Leeuwen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bro-Rasmussen
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Feijtel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bussian
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Calamari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glynn
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Grandy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Van Hemmen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Solbé
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Speijers
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vermeire