Non-dietary exposures

Non-dietary exposures are the amounts of substances to which individuals in a population are exposed via any of three non-dietary routes: dermal, inhalation or oral, per day. Non-dietary exposures can be used for computing aggregate exposure distributions from both dietary and non-dietary routes of exposure. Depending on the exposure type, non-dietary exposures can be short-term/acute exposures and then contain exposures for individual-days, or they can be long-term/chronic exposures, in which case they represent the average exposure per day over an unspecified longer time period. Examples are presented as case studies in Kennedy et al. (Kennedy et al. (2012), Kennedy et al. (2015a), Kennedy et al. (2015b), Kennedy and Butler Ellis (2017)) and R code to generate these examples is available for general use.

Datasets are typically generated by external programs, e.g. Browse, Bream2 or PACEM. The Browse and Bream2 models both simulate distributions of potential exposure of residents and bystanders to pesticides sprayed on crops. Probability distributions are included to quantify variations in input parameters representing conditions during a spray event. PACEM is a probabilistic exposure model for substances present in consumer products. Browse was an EU FP7 project, that in addition to bystanders and residents from boom-sprayers includes various arable and orchard scenarios. It includes dermal, oral and inhalation routes of exposure and can generate exposure files in the correct format for MCRA non-dietary exposure. The underlying simulation of dermal spray deposits on bystanders and residents was taken from Bream, although Browse includes post-processing to model indirect exposures, multiple routes and long-term exposure, see Kennedy and Butler Ellis (2017). Volatilisation is also included through the PEARL-OPS model (van den Berg et al. (2016)) to account for inhalation of vapours. Bream2 is an updated version of the original Bream model (Kennedy et al. (2012)) and software is available online (http://www.ssau.co.uk/bream2-calculator). Results from Bream had been used as part of EFSA guidance on bystander and resident exposure. Bream2 was recently shown to produce more realistic exposure distributions, when compared to measured dermal exposure (Butler Ellis et al. (2018)). Currently, the Browse software is outdated and replaced by Bream2.

This module has as primary entities: Populations Substances

Output of this module is used by: Exposures

Non-dietary exposures as data

Non-dietary exposures are collected in non-dietary surveys. Data may be specified on population level or individual level, and may or may not include variability and uncertainty.

Inputs used: Active substances

Settings and Tiers

See also Combining dietary and non dietary exposures.