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A critical assessment of the ecological risk assessment process: A review of misapplied concepts
Author(s) -
Tannenbaum Lawrence V.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
integrated environmental assessment and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1551-3793
pISSN - 1551-3777
DOI - 10.1897/ieam_2004a-008.1
Subject(s) - process (computing) , convention , risk assessment , environmental planning , environmental resource management , risk analysis (engineering) , ecology , business , management science , environmental science , computer science , political science , engineering , biology , law , computer security , operating system
A frank assessment of present‐day ecological risk assessments (ERA) for managed contaminated sites reveals that fundamental concepts regarding the receptors that are considered and the chemical exposures they experience are commonly misapplied. As a consequence, environmental managers are not being supplied with the information needed for proper decision making. The stepwise review of ecological risk issues provided here suggests that the ERA process needs to be severely revamped. Further, what is likely hindering the development of a refined ecological assessment process that is better suited to environmental problem solving and land management is the unwillingness of stakeholders to agree that much of the current ERA practice and convention is flawed.