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  • Feature Article
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Adoption of an official ISEA glossary

Abstract

The International Society for Exposure Analysis (ISEA) and its Nomenclature Committee have been involved since the mid-1990s in an intermittent but ongoing effort to develop an official ISEA glossary. Several related activities have stimulated greater interest and discussion nationally and internationally on a common exposure language. Among these activites are a 1997 Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology feature article on exposure and dose definitions and a 1999-initiated project of the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) (WHO/ILO/UNEP) to confront terminology issues hindering harmonization in the area of exposure assessment. Recently, the ISEA members voted in support of adopting the IPCS glossary as the official ISEA glossary, and the ISEA Executive Board agreed to accept this recommendation. In this feature article, we (1) describe the process through which the ISEA adopted the IPCS glossary as the official ISEA glossary, (2) present the joint IPCS/ISEA glossary of terms and their definitions, and (3) discuss plans for how the glossary can be used by ISEA and updated over time by ISEA and IPCS. The glossary is intended to be a living document that reflects the latest usage and maintains international harmonization of exposure terminology that can be practically applied to improve communication in exposure and related fields.

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References

  • Callahan M.A., Jayewardene R., Norman C., Zartarian V., Dinovi M., Graham J., Hammerstrom K., Olin S., and Sonich-Mullin C. International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) Project on the Harmonization of Risk Assessment Approaches: Exposure Assessment Terminology. Paper No. 273 presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Exposure Analysis, Charleston, SC, 6 November, 2001.

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Acknowledgements

The IPCS/ISEA glossary was developed by the members of the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), Harmonization Project, Exposure Assessment Planning Workgroup, Terminology Subcommittee:

Mr.

Michael Callahan, Region 6, U.S. EPA

Dr.

Michael DiNovi, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Dr.

Judith Graham, International Council of Chemical Associations

Ms.

Karen Hammerstrom, National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA

Dr.

Roshini Jayewardene, National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme, Australia

Ms.

Christine Norman, Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Health Canada

Dr.

Steve Olin, International Life Sciences Institute, Washington, DC

Ms.

Cynthia Sonich-Mullin, National Center for Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA

Dr.

Dr Yiqun Wu, Chinese Institute of Preventive Medicine

Dr.

Valerie Zartarian, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. EPA

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Correspondence to Valerie Zartarian.

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This paper has been approved for publication by the authors' respective institutions; however, it does not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or opinions of those institutions.

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Zartarian, V., Bahadori, T. & McKone, T. Adoption of an official ISEA glossary. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 15, 1–5 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500411

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