Citation:

Guiseppi-Elie, A. Exposure Science in Transition - The Case for Exposure-Informed Decisions. 2019 SETAC NA Annual Meeting, Toronto, CANADA, November 03 - 07, 2019.

Impact/Purpose:

This proposed presentation will contribute to a session sponsored by the Senior Resources Group called "Oh, the changes I’ve seen over the past 30 years." Many SETAC members have experienced great changes in their respective fields over their careers whether in business, government or academia. The session goal is to capture those changes through presenters' personal stories based on their experiences in the chosen topic area. This presentation will highlight new methods in 21st century exposure science that has revived the critical importance of exposure assessments to inform decision making about health risks from various stressors.

Description:

We are exposed daily - be it in the foods we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and personal products we use - to different physical, chemical, biological stressors that can potentially affect our health. Exposure science, in general, develops information on “what we are exposed to” and “how much”. Exposure assessments apply this information to specific decision contexts, where it may be necessary to predict and potentially mitigate adverse health outcomes, or alternately, enhance positive health endpoints. Exposure science has broad applicability including, for example, in food safety, public health and industrial hygiene and, hence, the focus of exposure assessments can vary by discipline with a key example being its use in risk assessments. It can be successfully argued that without exposure, regardless of the hazard potential of any stressor (chemical or otherwise), there can be no risk. This follows the widely accepted risk paradigm that equates risk to the combined effects of hazard and exposure. History, however, is on the side of hazard regardless of exposure. For example, the exposure element of the “dose makes the poison” adage was somehow lost in the centuries of toxicity testing that followed Paracelsus’ observation. In the past, exposure has been relegated to a secondary role in risk-based decisions. Fortunately, in the 21st century, exposure science has evolved significantly moving the field from discrete “external” exposures to “internal” and personal measurements. Technological advancement in measurements (e.g., analytical techniques, sensors) as well as high-throughput in silico methods have expanded and diversified the exposure toolset. These advancements have revived the critical place of exposure as requisite to hazard assessment to inform the best decision-making in light of complex 21st century issues. This story will focus on a few of the examples that abound, such as the evolution to personal sensors and high-throughput exposure methods. Coupled with a renewed energy around collaboration, practitioners are equipped now more than ever to work together to solve real world problems.

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