Abstract

The risks of exposure to chemicals should be assessed more often by using new, more advanced methods. The use of these methods would lead to more realistic risk assessments which would facilitate the responsible risk manager in targeting his attention (and budget) to those situations where health effects are likely to occur. In a study of RIVM five types of risk management questions are approached with the classical methods as well with the Benchmark dose approach and probabilistic risk assessment. The more advanced methods aim to take the associated uncertainties into account in a more realistic and consistent way.
It is concluded that the advanced methods are required when human exposure is higher than or close to the exposure limit (derived by the classical methods), while they are recommended when this distance is less than several orders of magnitude. The costs of applying these advanced methods (in terms of time needed for computer calculations) are limited, if suitable software and appropriate expertise is available.