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What's the issue? Why should I care?
What is EPA doing about it?
Where can I find additional resources?

What's the issue? Why should I care?

Individuals are exposed to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors that can have the potential to negatively affect their health. EPA traditionally has used the risk assessment paradigm to assess exposures and risks to single chemicals. However, recently EPA has assessed risk to multiple contaminants like organophosphate pesticides and hazardous air pollutants. Additionally, the traditional risk assessment has not been used to assess the interaction of non-chemical stressors (e.g., stress, poverty) and environmental exposure to chemicals.

Different communities face different exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors. Some communities may be more vulnerable to such stressors, due to genetics, social or other environmental factors. For many years, the environmental justice movement and local communities have been asking EPA to assess cumulative exposures. Therefore, CBRA is an attempt to address exposures and environmental health risks in real world contexts.

What is a "stressor"?

A stressor is any physical, chemical, or biological entity that can induce an adverse response. A stressor may also be the lack of an essential entity, such as a habitat. (EPA Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment, 2002)

What is EPA doing about it?

Click image for larger view. This diagram represents the conceptual framework of the Duke Children's Center. The figure depicts environmental, social, and host factors as three sides of an integrated triangle. SOURCE: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/childrenscenters/duke.html

Reports: In 2003, EPA released a report illustrating a new Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment. This document is the first step in a long-term effort to develop cumulative risk assessment guidance. It discusses the how non-chemical stressors and vulnerability are important in the risk assessment process. The National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (NEJAC) also issued a report on environmental justice and cumulative risks/impacts.

In 2008, EPA released a follow-up report on cumulative risk assessment - Concepts, Methods and Data Sources for Cumulative Health Risk Assessment of Multiple Chemicals, Exposures and Effects: A Resource Document. This report is a resource document for identifying specific elements of approaches for implementing cumulative risk assessments.

In 1999, EPA released a report on a new Framework for Community-Based Environmental Protection. This report illustrated that "today’s environmental problems cannot be solved through traditional command-and-control approaches that address only air or water or solid waste in isolation." In addition, the report presented a place-based, holistic, collaborative process which includes stakeholder collaboration and consideration of both environmental protection along with human social needs.

Community-Based Programs: EPA’s Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) is a new competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for a community to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environment.

What is "cumulative risk"?

Cumulative risk means the combined risks from aggregate exposures to multiple agents or stressors. (EPA Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment, 2002)

EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) also supports two grants for community-based work. First, the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working on or planning to work on projects to address local environmental and/or public health issues, using EPA’s “Collaborative Problem-Solving Model.” Second, the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations to build collaborative partnerships to identify the local environmental and/or public health issues.

Workshops: In 2007, EPA sponsored a workshop to identify research needs for CBRA. Sign-up for the e-mail Listserv on CBRA, which has been created to disseminate information about CBRA. You can also read an article on the CBRA Workshop from InsideEPA.com

Funding Research: In late 2008, EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) plans to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) on research that is needed to further the emerging field of CBRA. In the past, NCER has partnered with the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the Agency for Substances and Toxic Disease Registry (ASTDR) to support similar research.

What is "cumulative risk assessment"?

Cumulative risk assessment is an analysis and possible quantification of the combined risks to health or the environment from multiple agents or stressors. (EPA Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment, 2002)

Where can I find additional resources?

Community-based risk assessment brings in multiple frameworks, such as: community-based participatory research; risk assessment, management, and communication; community environmental health assessment; community mobilization; and collaborative decision-making. Here are links to organizations, toolkits, online modules, presentations, and more organized in the following topics: