Army risk assessment modeling system for evaluating health impacts associated with exposure to chemicals

The Army Risk Assessment Modeling System (ARAMS) is a computer-based, knowledge delivery, and decision support system that integrates multimedia fate/transport, exposure, uptake, and effects of chemicals to assess human and ecological health impacts and risks. ARAMS is being developed to: reduce the time and cost for conducting site-specific health risk assessments; provide more uniform methods for conducting risk assessments with more reliable risk estimates; and reduce the cost of remediation by establishing more reasonable cleanup targets. ARAMS is based on the risk assessment paradigm of combining exposure and effects assessment to characterize risk. ARAMS uses the Framework for Risk Analysis in Multimedia Environmental Systems (FRAMES) for the system main chassis. FRAMES is a modular modeling framework that allows seamless linkage of disparate models and databases. ARAMS contains various tools needed for risk assessment, such as viewers, report generators, and a module for assessing uncertainty. ARAMS allows for both screening-level and focused (i.e., comprehensive) assessments and has linkages to Web-based databases to allow the use of up-to-date information for conducting risk assessments. ARAMS is being fielded in stages with new versions released approximately annually. Although the primary,focus of ARAMS development is associated with models and methods for assessing contaminant exposure and effects on military ranges and bases, it is generally applicable to any setting with contaminated sources or media.