About CRM Risk Assessment Documents

CRM has a mission to promote science-based decision making among government, industry and public in chemical risk management through providing the frameworks of chemical risk assessment and management as well as actual examples in which such frameworks are applied. Since its establishment in 2001, CRM has been engaged in risk assessments of a number of specific chemical substances with known or expected risks to human health and/or ecosystem, and released the outcomes as a series of risk assessment documents.

The first outcome of the CRM’s efforts in risk assessment of a specific chemical substance was released on CRM website in December 2002 as “1,3-butadiene risk assessment document”, followed by “TBT risk assessment document” and “Nonylphenol risk assessment document” in May 2004. To meet the demand and interests of wide ranges of people, it was decided to publish CRM risk assessment documents from a commercial publisher, Maruzen Co., Ltd., and the first volume of CRM Risk Assessment Series, “Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate” was published in December 2004.

The risk assessment documents developed by CRM are the first examples of comprehensive chemical risk assessments compiled and released for public in Japan. The major features of CRM risk assessment documents include:

1) Application of new methods and techniques developed by CRM

For risk assessment of each specific chemical substance, new and innovative methods and techniques in exposure estimation, risk estimation, data compilation, etc. are developed within CRM and applied.

2) Peer consultations by outside experts

In the process to compile risk assessment documents, drafts are reviewed by outside experts in the fields related to the risk assessment of each specific chemical substance. The comments from the outside experts and the responses of CRM to those comments are to be included in the final risk assessment documents.

3) Socio-economic evaluation of options for risk management

Possible options and CRM’s recommendations for risk management are included in the final risk assessment documents with socio-economic evaluation of each option.

The risk assessment documents developed by CRM are expected to be the good examples of chemical risk assessments for regulators and people in industries who are engaged in chemical risk management, as well as providing the materials for those who are learning the methods of chemical risk assessment.

All of the original risk assessment documents are compiled and published in Japanese. Abstracts and summaries in English of the risk assessment documents, and full English translations for selected documents are to be made available on CRM website.

Risk assessment documents have been developed as a part of the program funded by NEDO, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization; “Chemical Risk Assessment and Development of Risk Assessment Methods” in the Program for Comprehensive Assessment and Management of Chemicals.

Note: The conclusions presented in the risk assessment documents are of the views of CRM and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any particular regulatory bodies in Japan.