Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology · 2011 · 46 citations · 5 references
Natural SciencesEnvironmental PolicyEnvironmental SciencesEnvironmental Risk ManagementEnvironmental ToxicologyRisk AssessmentChemical Risk ManagementChemical SafetyEnvironmental RiskNanotoxicologyPesticide Risk AssessmentWater PollutionChemical Risk RegulationEnvironmental NanotoxicologyNanotechnology RegulationOverviewWater Quality Risk Assessment
In Europe, under the framework of environmental legislation, various protocols have been developed for assessing the environmental risk of chemicals. For the “new chemicals,” environmental risk assessment (ERA) was introduced at 1980s. A decade later, pharmaceuticals were considered in the discussion for further ERA studies. Pesticides and biocides undergo a rigorous assessment following Directives 91/414/EEC and 98/8/EC. Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) is the most important development in this field. REACH covers nanotechnology-based materials, but present methodologies may not be appropriate. The authors give a critical overview of the approaches under European water legislation, which cover the ERA frameworks for emerging contaminants.
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