TY - JOUR

T1 - How evidence-based methodologies can help identify and reduce uncertainty in chemical risk assessment

AU - Hoffmann, Sebastian

AU - Whaley, Paul

AU - Tsaioun, Katya

PY - 2022/4/11

Y1 - 2022/4/11

N2 - Evidence-based methodology, in particular systematic review, is increasingly being applied in environmental, public and occupational health in order to increase the transparency, comprehensiveness and objectivity of the processes by which existing evidence is gathered, assessed and synthesized in answering research questions. This development is also changing risk assessment practices and will impact the assessment of uncertainties in the evidence for risks to human health that are posed by exposure to chemicals.The potential of evidence-based methodology for characterizing uncertainties in risk assessment has been widely recognized, while their contribution to uncertainty reduction is yet to be fully elucidated. We therefore present some key aspects of the evidence-based approach to risk assessment, showing how they can contribute to the identification and the assessment of uncertainties. We focus on the pre-specification of an assessment methodology in a protocol, comprehensive search strategies, study selection using predefined eligibility criteria, critical appraisal of individual studies, and an evidence integration and uncertainty characterization process based on certainty of evidence frameworks that are well-established in health care research. We also provide examples of uncertainty in risk assessment and discuss how evidence-based methodology could address those.This perspective, which neither claims to be comprehensive nor complete, is intended to stimulate discussion of the topic and to motivate detailed exploration of how evidence-based methodology contributes to characterization of uncertainties, and how it will lead to uncertainty reduction in the conduct of health risk assessment.

AB - Evidence-based methodology, in particular systematic review, is increasingly being applied in environmental, public and occupational health in order to increase the transparency, comprehensiveness and objectivity of the processes by which existing evidence is gathered, assessed and synthesized in answering research questions. This development is also changing risk assessment practices and will impact the assessment of uncertainties in the evidence for risks to human health that are posed by exposure to chemicals.The potential of evidence-based methodology for characterizing uncertainties in risk assessment has been widely recognized, while their contribution to uncertainty reduction is yet to be fully elucidated. We therefore present some key aspects of the evidence-based approach to risk assessment, showing how they can contribute to the identification and the assessment of uncertainties. We focus on the pre-specification of an assessment methodology in a protocol, comprehensive search strategies, study selection using predefined eligibility criteria, critical appraisal of individual studies, and an evidence integration and uncertainty characterization process based on certainty of evidence frameworks that are well-established in health care research. We also provide examples of uncertainty in risk assessment and discuss how evidence-based methodology could address those.This perspective, which neither claims to be comprehensive nor complete, is intended to stimulate discussion of the topic and to motivate detailed exploration of how evidence-based methodology contributes to characterization of uncertainties, and how it will lead to uncertainty reduction in the conduct of health risk assessment.

KW - chemical risk assessment

KW - uncertainty

KW - evidence-based methodology

KW - evidence-based toxicology

KW - systematic review

U2 - 10.14573/altex.2201131

DO - 10.14573/altex.2201131

M3 - Journal article

VL - 39

SP - 175

EP - 182

JO - ALTEX

JF - ALTEX

SN - 1868-596X

IS - 2

ER -