As a society we want to protect ourselves and our environment from negative impacts caused by pollutants (e.g., microplastic) and toxic substances. Regulatory decisions about the approval or ban of a new substance thus require a careful assessment of its ecotoxicological risk by comparing its hazard (toxicity) to its expected concentration in the environment (exposure).
In my talk I want to highlight two challenges specific to hazard assessment that show how both, decisions on a very basic statistical level and complex predictive modeling approaches can help us draw more reliable conclusions. On a very fundamental basis, I will discuss statistical challenges we face when the goal is to demonstrate the absence of negative side-effects, a prerequisite for the registration of new chemicals in the EU. On a more complex level, I will discuss how we can use in silico methods to approach the difficulty that we can only test a few standard test species in the lab with a limited number of contaminants, but at the same time aim at protecting all potentially exposed organisms in a contaminated environment.
*** new BayCEER member
BayCEER Colloquium: |
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Th. 2024-04-25 Perspectives and challenges in the restoration and conservation of two isolated habitats: gypsum and cliffs |
BayCEER Short Courses: |
We. 2024-04-24 Mobile Film Making Workshop (for PhDs/PostDosc/Profs of BayCEER) |
Fr. 2024-04-26 Mobile Film Making Workshop (for students of BayCEER) |
Ecological-Botanical Garden: |
Su. 2024-04-21 Führung | Den ÖBG kennenlernen: Allgemeine Gartenführung |
Fr. 2024-04-26 Aktion | Kräuterreich & regional: Backkunst im ÖBG (zus. mit HWK) |