Computer Software for Risk Assessment
Nigel Greene · Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences · 1997
LHASA UK Ltd. is well established in the field of expert computer systems for chemists and toxicologists. A rule-based expert system approach is currently being used successfully in industry for the prediction of toxicological hazard. Each rule contained in the rule-base describes the relationship between a structural feature or “toxicophore” and its associated toxic effect. These rules are derived by an evaluation of toxicological, mechanistic, and physico-chemical data. New computer software for the risk assessment of chemical toxicity is now being developed as a collaborative project which includes a qualitative assessment of risk for each predicted hazard. This is achieved by an argumentation-based approach using general toxicological and physico-chemical concepts. The results of the assessment are presented to the user in a clear and standardized format. This novel approach improves the assessment of risk under uncertainty and aims to make the nature and potential impact of risks easier to understand.