Use of Bioavailability Estimates for Human Health Risk Assessment in the UK (with lab tour)

The British Geological Survey (BGS) and Land Quality Management Ltd (LQM) have a long history of working together to apply contaminant bioavailability to human health risk assessment. This is the first jointly delivered course and offers delegates the chance to visit the BGS laboratories where the new ISO 17924:2018 method was developed.  Places are limited to 18 but if there is enough demand we will run the course again on 3 April 2019.

Using the total contaminant concentration in your risk assessments can result in overly conservative risk evaluations and hence additional costs (unnecessary and unsustainable remediation), development delay or blight. Understanding how to use contaminant bioavailability estimates in the UK risk assessment process is key to avoiding over-estimating risks.

LQM and BGS staff have pioneered the practical use of and been actively involved in research associated with the bioaccessibility of metals since well before the first Environment Agency oral bioaccessibility reports were published in 2002. From housing developments, riparian allotments, former gas works, borrow pits through to upland metalliferous mines LQM have successfully applied oral bioaccessibility results to the regulatory decision process, especially for Lead and Arsenic and more recently benzo(a)pyrene.  LQM wrote the CIEH professional practice note to regulators and incorporated site specific bioaccessibility into the SNIFFER method.

BGS staff have been at the forefront of UK contaminant bioaccessibility research and international collaboration through the BARGE (the Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe) network. They have been instrumental in developing the BARGE Unified Bioaccessibility Method (UBM) and harmonising the in vitro bioaccessibility method for use in human health risk assessments for contaminated soils in Europe that has recently become an international standard (ISO 17924:2018). The BGS offer analytical expertise to external clients, for a wide range of environmental matrices including routine methods, and bespoke services for challenging samples.

Lead, a common UK contaminant of increasing concern, provides a good example of where additional regulatory burden and unnecessary remediation is often the default position, due to inadequate understanding or over conservative risk evaluation.

The course will be held at the BGS Keyworth site and includes a tour of their bioaccessibility testing facilities and other relevant research capabilities.

This face to face course explores the science underpinning bioavailability tests, tests currently available, understanding the geochemical controls on bioaccessibility and how careful use of contaminant bioavailability estimates within the risk assessment process can help clarify those risks, including lead. The tour of the BGS laboratories will provide the opportunity to see the test procedure from sample receipt to analytical certificate and ask questions to demystify this important tool in the risk assessment process for a range of contaminants. It will also help to inform you of potential future developments in this field.

Training is via a series of interactive presentations and exercises, delegates will receive hands on support from the trainers and will be able to interact with other delegates.