An assessment of the risk assessment paradigm for ecological risk assessment

This document reviews the strengths and limitations of the paradigm for ecological risk assessment and its implementation. The review is derived from discussions with government and professional organizations, recent literature, and attendance at various relevant symposia, workshops, and other meetings. The prevailing paradigm for ecological risk assessment is reflected in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (1992a) Framework for Ecological Risk Assessment (Figure 1). The National Research Council (1993) published a similar paradigm. The USEPA (1992b) paradigm for ecological risk assessment expands upon the NRC's (1983) four-step paradigm presented in Risk Assessment in the Federal Government: Managing the Process. One of the earliest adaptations of the 1983 paradigm for use in ecological risk assessment is presented in Barnthouse and Suter (1986) and their work provided a starting point for the development of the Framework. Consisting of Problem Formulation, Analysis, and Risk Characterization components, the Framework illustrates the importance of communication between risk assessors and risk managers and the role of monitoring and other data collection efforts. © 1997 by ASP.