This is a brief description of studies that exemplify the methods and approaches that have been developed and used by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers in conducting integrated assessments. See the complete list of Integrated Assessment Briefs to find out more about ORNL's efforts in integrated assessment. Contact Mike Farrell (farrellmp@ornl.gov) for more information.

Theory of Ecological Risk Assessment

Paradigm for ecological risk assessment.

What is an appropriate theory of ecological risk assessment and how should ecological risk assessments be performed in practice?

Ecological risk assessment is a new field that arose in the 1980s. Regulators needed something equivalent to human health risk assessments for use in making environmental decisions. The staff of the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked through the 1980s to develop an appropriate theory of ecological risk.

The ecological risk paradigm developed is based on the paradigm for human health risk assessment but incorporates the greater complexity of ecological systems. In particular it recognizes that ecological risk assessments must identify endpoints from among the array of properties of various populations, communities, and ecosystems. It recognizes that the scale and structure of the receiving environment are critical to assessment of ecological risks. It also recognizes the ecological risks are likely to involve indirect effects and changes in habitats as well as the direct toxic effects.

Suter, G. W. 1993. Ecological Risk Assessment. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Fla.

Where To?

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Integrated Assessment Briefs. 1995. ORNL/M-4227. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN.