Managing the environmental risks of chemicals is complex. Risks of chemicals to the Australian environment are assessed and managed across several government agencies and jurisdictions. Environmental risk assessments act as advice to chemical regulators and managers. This presentation will outline how risk assessors at the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water work to link government risk management to available scientific research.
Our section provides scientific and technical advice on environmental risks of industrial chemicals to regulatory and policy areas. Industrial chemicals are those used in products such as inks, paints, adhesives, solvents, cosmetics and cleaning products, and our advice informs regulation and management of their import, manufacture, use and disposal.
Our advice relies heavily on the published research in environmental chemistry and toxicology. We collate information on environmental concentrations, ecotoxicological endpoints, persistence, bioaccumulation, endocrine effects and long-range transport of chemicals, and interpret it within existing legislative and regulatory frameworks. Studies that include recent monitoring data and connect contamination to specific sources are especially useful but often a challenge to find.
This presentation will discuss:
with an emphasis on how we can optimise information exchange with the research community to best support good environmental management of chemicals.