Risk Assessment Strategy Group

6 Researchers:
　Katsuhide Fujita, Yuichi Iwasaki, Masashi Kamo, Hiroyuki Mano, Akihiro Moriyama

12 Contract Employees

Outline

We are conducting risk assessment research on chemicals (including microplastics), nanomaterials, and SARS-Cov-2 viruses. Specifically, we develop methods for risk assessment necessary for promoting innovation of new materials such as nanomaterials, develop methods for obtaining missing data for risk assessment, evaluate risks in actual environments, and promote pragmatic risk assessment for solving social issues. Our goal is to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society where industry and the environment coexist.

Research Highlights

Methods for Risk Assessment and Management of Chemicals

Development of Toxicity Prediction Methods for Rapid and Efficient Risk Assessments

Development of hazard assessment methods for ecological risk using mathematical and statistical approaches
Development of methods for quantitative ecological risk assessment using species sensitivity distribution (SSD) and quantification of uncertainties.

Fitting a statistical distribution to toxicity data for multiple biological species

Development of Combined Toxicity and Population-Level Assessment Methods Using Mathematical Models

Development of models, statistical test theories, and combinatorial optimization methods for assessing the combined exposure effects of chemicals
Development of assessment methods for population-level ecological risk of chemicals

An example of the mixture effects of two chemicals (A and B). The mixture effects differ depending on the combination of physical properties of the chemicals, and the effects are predicted by mathematical models.

Pragmatic Risk Assessment of Freshwater and Marine Environments

Prediction and evaluation of ecological effects in natural environments based on field bioassessment
Performing practical environmental risk assessments considering regional characteristics using field measurements and modeling techniques.

Sampling at river

Risk Assessment and Management Using Bioassays

Evaluation of ecological effects on natural environments from responses of living organisms to environment water
Investigation of methods for reducing impacts of wastewater at workplaces

Devices and species for bioassay

Environmental risk assessment of microplastics (MP)

Development of environmental risk assessment framework considering the characteristics of MPs
Trial risk assessment of MPs for Tokyo Bay
Estimation of species sensitivity distributions considering various MP characteristics

Toxicity Test Methods and Evaluation of Nanomaterials

Development of Toxicity Assessment Methods of Cellulose Nanofibers (CNFs)

Implementation of safety assessments for a variety of CNF slurries
Development of toxicity test methods (cell test, intratracheal installation test, ecotoxicity test, etc.) that companies can implement on their own.
Publication of a procedure manual and a safety valuation report

EM image of CNFs

Dissemination of Testing Methods and Safety Assessments of Nanomaterials

Publication of hazard assessment procedures and safety assessment documents
Dissemination of information on domestic and international trends through the Nanosafety Web site
Fundamental research for advancement and standardization of hazard testing methods for nanomaterials

A manual for toxicity testing of CNFs

Measurement and Estimation of exposure parameters for assessing risk of COVID-19

With the goal of contributing to the realization of effective infection risk mitigation measures, we conduct research to obtain evidence that contributes to assessment of risks and effectiveness of measures for preventing COVID-19 infection.
Measurement and estimation of ventilation and particle behavior in actual public transportation vehicles, etc.
Monitoring CO2 concentrations in outdoor and indoor environments in stadiums
Visualization and quantification of droplets and droplet nuclei using an exhalation and cough simulator

Aerosols Testing Room

(Collaborating with the Emission Exposure Analysis Group, working as a member of the Research Laboratory for Covid-19 Infectious Risk Asseement)