Exponent Authors Share Risk Assessment Expertise in New Book

Numerous Exponent scientists and engineers were invited along with other technical experts to contribute their knowledge on a broad array of risk assessment topics to the book "Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: Theory and Practice (3rd Edition)."

In the book, Exponent authors detail the variables involved in risk assessments with an in-depth focus on human and environmental exposure to agents and processes, ranging from contaminated soil to unstable built environments to workplace hazards. The book emphasizes the latest advances in risk assessment and diverse international standards through more than 40 new case studies and insights related to best practices for risk assessment documentation.

Health Risks of Fungi in the Built Environment — Jeffrey Hicks discusses how fungal (mold) growth in the built environment may present health hazards to occupants. In addition to providing background information, he uses detailed case studies to examine methods for properly evaluating potential hazards and explores when remedial processes might be needed.

Proposition 65 and Exposure Assessment Methods — Renee M. Kalmes, Keith Morris‐Schaffer, and Carolyn G. Scrafford provide an overview of California Proposition 65 regulatory interpretive guidance on methods for assessing exposure from chemical inhalation, food ingestion, and dermal and incidental hand-to-mouth contact with a variety of products, as well as case studies developed under the guidance.

Case Study: Occupational Use, Exposures, and Environmental Chamber Studies of Human Eye and Respiratory Irritation Responses for a Peracetic Acid‐based Hospital Surface Disinfectant — Brent Kerger and Anne Loccisano address concerns that subjective complaints of respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties reported by some users of this disinfectant product may outweigh the significant reduction in morbidity and mortality associated with its antimicrobial efficacy against hospital-acquired infections.

Emerging Frameworks and Tools for Environmental Risk Assessment — Charles A. Menzie, Taryn Horr, Michael W. Kierski, Konrad J. Kulacki,Margaret E. McArdle, and Sean F. Ryan describe the evolution of ecological risk assessment (ERA) into two parts: (1) approaching ERA as a holistic practice and (2) utilizing information on biomolecular processes and conditions to understand underlying mechanisms of exposure and effects, the nature of ecological receptors, and the potential for risks to populations.

Tiered Environmental Causal Analysis — Charles A. Menzie, Michael W. Kierski, William Goodfellow, BCES, M.S., and Roxolana Kashuba explore environmental causal analysis as a methodology designed to answer specific questions related to environmental conditions, the relationships among stressors and effects, and solutions.