PARENT SESSION
SP4 - Communicating Science & Environmental Risks
Chair: Solbe, John1, 1
Co-chair: Cowan-Ellsberry, Chris2, 2 The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH
2:10 PM to 5:30 PM - Sunday, 17 November 2002
Room Ballroom F
(112) HERA: Human & Environmental Risk Assessment of household detergent cleaning products: a progress report .
Solbe, John*,1, Backmann, Jan2, 1 Lever-Faberge, Waterloo, Belgium2 AISE, Brussels, Belgium
ABSTRACT- The HERA Project began in September 1999 as a contribution to the debate on chemicals risk assessment globally. HERA is a collaborative effort of upstream suppliers and downstream formulators of chemicals used in household cleaning products. Since the inception of HERA, the European White Paper on a Chemicals Policy has been published and developed. HERA represents a working example of practical experience in forming collaborative teams, gathering data, developing methods, preparing risk assessments and communicating the results for comment world-wide to all stakeholders via the web-site www.heraproject.com. Task Forces maintain the science-base required while Substance Teams gather the hazard and exposure data and prepare assessments of chemicals in two phases: development and verification of methods, and implementation for all chemicals important to the products. External reviewers maintain surveillance on the quality and relevance of the work. In the first phase, more than 70% of the tonnage of the chemicals used in this product area will have been assessed. The presentation will draw on the results of the assessments and experiences gained to describe the lessons learned in this detergent industry initiative. Subjects discussed will include targeting of risk assessment, grouping of chemicals, read-across to avoid unnecessary testing and modification to existing guidelines to make them appropriate to various exposure scenarios. Links with the North American and Japanese programmes on chemicals assessment provide valuable insights, prevent duplication and maximise synergy.
Key words: risk-assessment, environment, human-health, detergents