Substance prioritisation for the development of EU Acute exposure toxicity thresholds: Risk-informed decision making

Abstract

The aim of the EU ACUTEX project is to develop a methodology for establishing European Acute Exposure Threshold Levels (EU AETLs) for toxic substances in relation to harm to people by inhalation. Their development is initially in the context of the EU 'Seveso II' Directive through which the risks of major accidents from chemical sites are regulated. This paper discusses the potential value of AETLs for emergency planning in the UK. The paper then describes the prioritisation of 21 substances for AETL case studies based on an EU stakeholder consultation exercise. It also outlines progress on the subsequent development of a prioritisation methodology to inform initial substance selection for a possible further AETLs program. © 2004 Crown Copyright.