Health Effects and Risk Sciences Division
This division conducts basic and applied research in environmental health and provides innovative solutions to complex environmental problems associated with the nation's nuclear weapons legacy. We integrate solutions from the following capabilities:
- Health physics
- Nuclear science and engineering
- Chemical toxicology
- Hazard exposure and assessment
- Integrated modeling and analysis
- Risk assessment
- Technology deployment
In addition, this division is launching into the area of environmental biomarkers. Environmental biomarkers are biomolecular signatures that display a unique pattern of molecular change in an organism and that identify an exposure or response to a specific environmental stressor. They may signal a specific biological response to pollution, subtle changes in the environment, or deliberate release of toxic substances as an act of terrorism. Biomarkers represent the next generation of risk assessment tools.
The division offers state-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities, including
- Chemical Testing Chamber for trace detection of semi-volatile chemicals and their degradation products
- Exposure-to-Risk Monitor, a system that combines chemical sensors, new breath-analysis instrumentation, physiologically based pharmacokinetic models, and current methods in risk assessment
- Radiological Calibrations Laboratory that offers nationally recognized accreditations by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) and the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP).