Suggestions for the Development of a Hazard Evaluation Procedure for Potentially Toxic Chemicals: MARC Report Number 3

This document presents initial thinking on the development of a methodology designed to identify those chemicals being released into the environment which are likely to cause undue perturbations in essential biological processes. At present it is difficult, time-consuming and costly to assess the relative advantages and disadvantages resulting from the use of a particular chemical. An assessment of environmental costs related to the use of a particular substance requires information on the magnitude of its impact in relation to environmental exposure, and the value attached by society to the environmental resources which suffer negative effects.