Its focus is on effects of hazardous substances that significantly influence the level of health risks in the workplace. The unit describes the risk-relevant, hazardous properties of a selected substance: Is it toxic to the liver? Does it cause cancer?

For the derivation of occupational exposure limits and the assessment of health risks, knowledge about the hazardous properties of a substance is necessary but by no means sufficient: the potency of a hazardous substance is the key factor. Its assessment is one of the main activities of the unit. Does the substance damage the liver even at very low doses? Does the substance have a high potential to cause cancer?

Finally, Unit 4.I.3 characterizes the health risks of hazardous substances in the workplace. In doing so, it develops an important basis for the decision-making process regarding regulatory measures in the field of chemical safety and for occupational health protection. For this purpose, the unit links the outcome of toxicological and epidemiological analyses to information from other units, in particular to data on inhalation and/or dermal exposures in the workplace. Unit 4.I.3 is thus involved in the hazardous-substance-related activities of the entire division.

Tasks:

• Classification of hazardous substances
• Derivation of occupational exposure limits
• Quantification of exposure-risk relationships for carcinogenic substances
• Risk characterization of hazardous substances in the workplace
• Initiation and supervision of research projects addressing current issues in "risk-relevant" toxicology
• Initiation and supervision of epidemiological studies on the effectiveness of regulatory measures

Activities for securing the unit’s competences regarding toxicological, epidemiological and risk-related methods:

• Internal and external toxicological and epidemiological training of staff members
• Further development of classification criteria for hazardous substances
• Concept development for the derivation of occupational exposure limits and of reference values for carcinogenic substances

Participation in national and European processes and committees dealing with hazardous substances such as

• Committee on Hazardous Substances (AGS)
• Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area (MAK Commission) of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
• Harmonized classification of hazardous substances according to the CLP Regulation
• Regulatory processes according to the REACH Regulation
• Assessment of biocides according to the Biocidal Products Regulation