Careful - Causal Reasoning for Human Health in Experimental Toxicology and Epidemiology: A Joint Case Study on PFOA

摘要

The project CAREFUL examines the underlying cultures, issues and reasons behind interactions between toxicologists and epidemiologists. The final aim is to arrive at improvement of the process and content of joint risk assessments and at a better message to stakeholders. Phase 1 of the project will develop a common understanding of the argumentation and the weight-of-evidence elements used in both disciplines and the way inferences about the likelihood of causality are made (Lebret et al., this conference). The joint case study on PFOA will be used to develop and adjust a common framework, also taking into account the toxicological (still rather novel) concepts of Mode of Action (MoA) and Adverse Outcome Pathways of chemicals to etiological understanding of pathophysiology and disease development in humans based on (molecular) epidemiology. The case study of PFOA and other cases will also be used to determine the implications of the new approach for risk communication by practitioners of risk assessment, regulators and other stakeholders. This presentation will show the results of the PFOA case study.