As part of the GEF-funded project to advance the consideration of chemicals in products within SAICM (Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management), an introductory training on USEtox was hosted by Sri Lanka’s National Cleaner Production Centre last January. 25 participants from engineering and science backgrounds gathered to be introduced to the USEtox model. The training essentially aimed to further spread awareness on available chemical exposure assessment methods and therefore, assisted in meeting the increasing need for such methods and tools.

The training was conducted in a practical sense and provided focused examples on building materials and cleaning products. The course first provided a practical overview of an easy to use mass-balance based framework to assess multi-pathway human exposure to chemicals in building, and how to integrate this with health effects modelling based on comparative and quantitative metrics. Participants were then guided through practical examples of assessing exposure to chemicals in various building materials and cleaning applications. At the end of the programme participants were available to carry out a simple assessment using the USEtox model