Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University & Research , P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Wageningen Marine Research , Den Helder, The Netherlands.
Environ Sci Technol. 2017 Oct 17;51(20):11513-11519. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02219. Epub 2017 Oct 3.
Researcher and media alarms have caused plastic debris to be perceived as a major threat to humans and animals. However, although the waste of plastic in the environment is clearly undesirable for aesthetic and economic reasons, the actual environmental risks of different plastics and their associated chemicals remain largely unknown. Here we show how a systematic assessment of adverse outcome pathways based on ecologically relevant metrics for exposure and effect can bring risk assessment within reach. Results of such an assessment will help to respond to the current public worry in a balanced way and allow policy makers to take measures for scientifically sound reasons.
研究人员和媒体的警示，使得塑料碎片被视为对人类和动物的主要威胁。然而，尽管环境中塑料废物的存在在美学和经济方面显然是不可取的，但不同塑料及其相关化学物质的实际环境风险在很大程度上仍不为人知。在这里，我们展示了如何基于具有生态相关性的暴露和效应度量标准，对不良结果途径进行系统评估，从而使风险评估成为可能。此类评估的结果将有助于以平衡的方式应对当前公众的担忧，并使政策制定者能够出于科学合理的原因采取措施。
