Risk Assessment of Manufactured Nanomaterials - Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Nanotechnology - page 384

10

Risk Assessment of Manufactured
Nanomaterials

Sophie A. Rocks 1 , Simon J. Pollard 1 , Robert A. Dorey 2 , Paul T.C. Harrison 3 ,
Leonard S. Levy 3 , Richard D. Handy 4 , John F. Garrod 5 and Richard Owen 6

1 Collaborative Centre of Excellence in Understanding and Managing Natural and
Environmental Risks, Cranfi eld University, United Kingdom
2 Microsystems & Nanotechnology Centre, Cranfi eld University, United Kingdom
3 Institute of Environment and Health, Cranfi eld University, United Kingdom
4 School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, United Kingdom
5 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, United Kingdom
6 School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, United Kingdom

10.1 Introduction

Risk assessment is the qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of
adverse effects that may result from exposure to a substance or hazardous situation.
Its purpose is to inform decision makers on how best to manage risk preventatively
so as to avoid harm. This is achieved through understanding the magnitude and
signifi cance of the risk and, by virtue of the risk assessment, through a thorough
evaluation of the features of an exposure situation (scenario) that infl uence the risk
most strongly. Considered alongside issues of cost, social issues, management
arrangements, practicality, legality and the availability of technology, the key con-
tributors to signifi cant risk then become the focus for intervention (Pollard, 2006).
Risk assessment has been applied extensively to chemicals in the context of
environmental protection (Pollard et al. , 2002 ; Ashmore and Nathanail, 2008 ), in