Spotlight February 2022: Probabilistic risk assessment – the keystone for the future of toxicology

Home > Spotlight February 2022: Probabilistic risk assessment – the keystone for the future of toxicology

The basics of toxicology are constantly being reconsidered, and the approach to risk assessment is therefore constantly being put to the test, because, as William Osler is cited in this publication, “Medicine (toxicology) is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability“.

In this recent paper, the team around Thomas Hartung (Johns-Hopkins University/University of Konstanz) has shown that for improved toxicology we should rather work with a “Probabilistic Risk Assessment” approach. This is also or especially important for new materials, because with these there are particularly often gaps in knowledge, uncertainties in risk assessment due to conflicting data and the most diverse hypotheses and strategies of the various stakeholders. In the publication, various models are presented that are applicable for this type of risk assessment and for some of which corresponding software is also available to perform calculations for the respective exposure scenarios. In the examples for this approach, a paper by Jacobs et al. (1) is also cited here, who had applied the case to silica in food. They concluded that after taking all uncertainties into account and using all available data, the margin of safety has not yet been exceeded by far using silica in various food products. In 2017, an international group of experts applied this method to Titanium dioxide in seven different exposure scenarios and concluded no increased risk to humans, as the probability of exceeding the safety limits is vanishingly small (2).

The suggested approach by Johns Hopkins University is thus a good indication to adopt this method in order to be able to make a reasonable risk assessment for new, innovative materials even in the presence of uncertaintie.

 

Further literature:

  1. Jacobs, R., van der Voet, H., and Ter Braak, C.J. (2015). Integrated probabilistic risk assessment for nanoparticles: the case of nanosilica in food. J Nanopart Res 17, 251
  2. Tsang, M.P., Hristozov, D., Zabeo, A., Koivisto, A.J., Jensen, A.C.O., Jensen, K.A., Pang, C., Marcomini, A., and Sonnemann, G. (2017). Probabilistic risk assessment of emerging materials: case study of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Nanotoxicology 11, 558-568

 

Original publication:

Maertens, A., Golden, E., Luechtefeld, T.H., Hoffmann, S., Tsaioun, K., and Hartung, T. (2022). Probabilistic risk assessment – the keystone for the future of toxicology. ALTEX 39, 3-29

Spotlight February 2022: Probabilistic risk assessment – the keystone for the future of toxicology

Weitere Spotlights


Spotlight March 2022: Safe Materials from Scratch – Safe-by-Design-Concept in action

Spotlight March 2022: Safe Materials from Scratch – Safe-by-Design-Concept in action

In recent decades, German research on nanomaterials and new, innovative materials has been widely expanded by material safety aspects. European initiatives also pay significant attention to this: both the European Union (EU) Green Deal, and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) aim to create a sustainable, climate-neutral economy with sustainable and safe chemicals and products, […]

Read more

Spotlight January 2022: Methods, models, mechanisms and metadata

Spotlight January 2022: Methods, models, mechanisms and metadata

For the new year, we are presenting no “classic” paper here, but would like to point out an editorial: Methods, Models, Mechanisms and Metadata: Introduction to the Nanotoxicology Collection at F1000 Research. This editorial introduces the F1000Research Nanotoxicology Collection, where best practices can be collected in the form of original research reports, including no-effect studies, […]

Read more

Spotlight December 2021: Silica nanoparticles improve plant disease resistance

Spotlight December 2021: Silica nanoparticles improve plant disease resistance

The resistance of plants to various pathogens is often increased in agriculture with various chemicals (“fertilizers”). A new direction is being taken with the use of nanoparticles. These can be sprayed on the plants. In the present study, the model plant Arabidopsis was used to investigate whether silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2) can increase resistance to […]

Read more

Spotlight April 2022: A new risk assessment of nanomaterials in 3D printing is needed

Spotlight April 2022: A new risk assessment of nanomaterials in 3D printing is needed

The use of nanomaterials in 3D printing has great potential. Due to the properties of nanoscale materials, many requirements can be implemented in 3D printing. However, these unique properties based on the size of the particles also lead to the need for new risk assessments. This is because if the nanoparticles are released in the […]

Read more

Skip to content