Background
Exposure concentrations do not always need to be measured directly. Sometimes a calculation method yields much faster a correct estimate of the risk. In recent years, especiallyunder the influence of REACH, quite a number of models have been put on the market. Unfortunately the validation of these models usually has not been performed before theirrelease on the market, but afterwards. Therefore it is important that you know the background of the model and its terms of use, when you are modeling. The European context ofmodeling is described in the Technical Guidance Document on Risk Assessment (2nd Ed. 2003) and also in the REACH guidance Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment it is described how models may be useful in risk assessments.

Legislation

• KB Chemical agents (11/03/2002) (Dutch)
• KB Carcinogenic and mutagenic agents (02/12/1993) (Dutch)

Standards

• When estimating inhalatory exposure:
  • NBN EN 689:1995 Workplace atmospheres - Guidance for the assessment of exposure by inhalation to chemical agents for comparison with limit values and measurement strategy
• When estimating dermal exposure:
  • Draft standard: technical specification CEN/TC 137/WG6 (2005-04-25) Dermal Exposure (NEN) (dormant)
• When estimating oral exposure:
  • not available

Documentation

• NVvA-BOHS Testing Compliance with Occupational Exposure Limits for Airborne Substances suggestion for an alternative assessment strategy for NBN EN 689:1995
• GIS (Dutch) allows measuring distances and calculating areas of buildings / parcels on Flemish territory
• Technical Guidance Document on Risk Assessment (2nd Ed. 2003)
  • Part 1 Risk assessment for human health
  • Part 2 Environmental risk Assessment
  • Part 3 QSARs, Use Categories, RAR format
  • Part 4 Emission Scenario Documents
• Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment (guide to REACH)
  • occupational exposure estimation (D, R14)
  • exposure of consumers (D, R15)
  • exposure related to the environment (D, R16)

Positioning of the exposure modeling within NBN EN 689:1995

• Identification of exposure
• Workplace factors
• Exposure investigation
  • Initial / basis
  • Global / qualitative – semi-quantitative
    • Qualitative and semi-quantitative risk scores
    • Earlier measurements including biomonitoring
    • Measurements in comparable installations or processes (sector approach)
    • Reliable estimates

• • inhalatory exposure
  • EASE (disk1, disk2) for gases and vapors
  • ECETOC TRA (Targetted Risk Assessment)
  • Stoffenmanager
  • MEASE
  • EMKG-EXPO-TOOL (COSHH-BAuA tool)
  • ART (Advanced Reach Tool), BEAT (Bayesian Exposure Assessment Tool, biocides)
  • IHMOD (www.ihmod.org)
  • ConsExpo & EUSES (biocides), DME (diesel engine emission) (Dutch), Lasrookassistent (welding fume) (Dutch),…
• • dermal exposure
  • SkinPermCalc and FiniteDoseSkinPermCalc (NIOSH)
  • RISKOFDERM toolkit
  • DREAM
  • Skinperm and EASC IHSkinPerm
  • ECETOC TRA, EASE (disk1, disk2), Stoffenmanager, MEASE, ConsExpo,…
• • Using the estimate, you can calculate the index I: [estimate]/[limit value]: I=E/LV
    • I < 0,1 Green: chance of exposure is negligible, OK
    • I > 1,0 Red: chance of overexposure, take ACTIONS
    • 0,1 < I < 1,0 Orange: chance of exposure is real: MEASURING

 

Summary table of some modeling tools

	Theoretical, REACH Conceptual * / **	INHALATORY	DERMAL	ORAL	To	based on	validated	References
EASE	Mech, T1	X	X		gas, vapor, liquid, solid (dust and fibers)		Yes	Tickner et al, 2005
ECETOC-TRA	Mech, T1	X	X	X	chemical substances within the framework of REACH	EASE, ConsExpo	http://www.eteam-project.eu/	ECETOC, Money et al., 2007
Stoffenmanager	Mech, T1 * / **	X	X		vapor, liquid low volatility, dust	STEAMBASE	Yes	Marquart et al., 2008, Schinkel et al., 2010
ART	Emp, Mech, T2 **	X			vapor, mist, dust, smoke (not for gas and fibers)		Yes	Tielemans et al., 2011
EMKG-EXPO-TOOL	Mech, T1	X			liquid, solid	COSHH	http://www.eteam-project.eu/	EMKG
MEASE	Mech, T2	X	X		metals and inorganic substances	EASE, ECETOC TRA	http://www.eteam-project.eu/	EBRC
RISKOFDERM	Mech, T1 *		X		Chemical substances on the work place		Yes but…	Schneider et al., 1999, Oppl et al., 2003
DREAM	Mech, T1 *		X		Chemical substances on the work place		Yes but…	Van Wendel de Joode et al, 2003, Schneider et al., 1999
EASCIHMOD	Mech, T2	X						AIHA EASC
EASCIHSkinPerm	Mech, T2		X					AIHA EASC,
ChemSTEER	Mech	X	X		chemicals during manufacturing etc		by EPA herself	US EPA
EUSES	Emp, Mech, T1, T2	X	X		industrial chemicals and biocides	TGD, ConsExpo, EASE (don’t use)	no	RIVM (EU)
BEAT	Emp, Mech, T2 *		X		biocides in agriculture		no	Philips et al., 2001, Schneider et al., 1999
ConsExpo	Emp, Mech, T2 *	X	X	x	non-food consumer stuff, biocides		no	RIVM
SprayExpo	Mech, T2	X	X		biocides in agriculture		?	BAuA
LasrookAssistent	T3	X			welding fume		yes	IRAS