This course, which is an integration of science and policy, covers the fundamental basis of the environmental impact assessment, the risk assessment and management process which starts from identification of hazard, assessment methods, the mode of action and human relevance framework, the inherent uncertainties in each step and the relationship between risk assessment and risk management, and the need for open, transparent and participatory acceptance procedures and credible communication methods. Emphasis will be placed on potential adverse health effects of human exposure to environmental hazards. The course also teaches the practical application of risk assessment methods to various problems. The application of environmental impact assessment procedures of identifying and assessing risk is also covered in the course.
Khunying Mathuros Ruchirawat (Ph.D.)
11 - 20 December 2008
Room 606, 6th Floor, Service Building, Chulabhorn Research Institute
The International Training Course on Environmental and Health Risk Assessment and Management of Toxic Chemicals was held from 11-20 December 2008. The objective of this course is to provide basic scientific knowledge of the principles and concepts of risk assessment and the process involved and to illustrate how risk assessment is conducted by using case studies. This course content involves an integration of science and policy, introduces the basic scientific components of environmental and health risk assessment and describes the policy context in which decisions to manage environmental health risks are made. It covers the quantitative methods used to assess health risks associated with exposure to chemicals. The components of the risk assessment process are presented, starting with hazard identification, and then dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, characterization of risk and the uncertainties in each step. The course also presents the practical application of risk assessment methods to various problems, e.g., hazardous waste site release etc. The course was taught by 5 international lecturers from renowned educational institutes such as University of Aarhus, Denmark and University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. On this course, there were 11 participants from 8 countries, namely Afghanistan, Indonesia, Lao, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Timor, and Thailand supported by fellowships from TICA as well as 10 postgraduate students from the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, 4 from Mahidol University, and 2 Indonesian participants supported by fellowships from WHO/SEARO. The course evaluation submitted by the participants indicated a high level of satisfaction with the content, the teaching, and the general organization of the course.