Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal (HERA) provides a resource for policy-makers and professionals researching and assessing environmental hazards to both humans and ecological systems. The editors expect papers published to be original, novel, of sound science, and purposeful for risk assessment, communication, management, and monitoring. The content of the papers should primarily contribute to the improvement of knowledge and methodology for risk assessment, including the establishment of measures for reducing, mitigating, and(or) preventing health risks in humans and ecosystems. Papers should not be of merely local or regional interest, but should address their implications for discipline-wide and(or) international relevance.


SCOPE AND RESEARCH THEMES

The journal is an international peer-reviewed publication that currently publishes ten issues annually. The journal's scope includes scientific and technical information and critical analysis in the areas of human health risk assessment, ecological risk assessment, and a few cross-cutting issues (e.g., climate change). These tracks are divided into the following research themes. Manuscripts that address any of these themes will be considered.

Human health risk assessment
Manuscripts must address at least one component of the human health risk assessment process, which includes (1) hazard identification, (2) dose-response assessment, (3) exposure assessment, and (4) risk characterization. The findings must contribute to the improved knowledge of human health risk assessment. While HERA focuses primarily on risk assessment of chemical stressors (i.e., exogenous and endogenous hazardous substances/agents), we also consider manuscripts that address health risks induced by non-chemical stressors such as climate change, selected physical and biological agents (such as radiation, microplastics, particulate matter, microorganisms, etc.). Manuscripts addressing aggregate and cumulative risks among susceptible or underserved populations are welcome.

Ecological risk assessment
Manuscripts must address or provide information that contributes to the improved knowledge of at least one component of ecological risk assessment of chemical and(or) non-chemical stressors in the environment. The ecological risk assessment process includes (1) identification of stressors and their characteristics, including the ecological system at risk; (2) characterization of exposure; (3) characterization of ecological effects, and (4) risk characterization. Manuscripts will not be considered if they are primarily data reports (i.e., describe chemical monitoring of common contaminants without risk assessment or hypotheses).

Methods in risk assessment
HERA also considers manuscripts that contribute to the improvement of methodologies for use in human and ecological risk assessments. This includes manuscripts that present or discuss analytical (quantitative) methodology, new approach methodologies (NAMs), model development, advanced computational methods for risk estimation, statistical models, and methods for quantitative and comparative risk assessment, etc. Models should include calibration and data validation.

Risk communication, management, and monitoring
Risk assessment usually does not end at risk characterization, but the process continues to include risk communication, management, and monitoring. HERA will consider manuscripts describing and/or analyzing these components in a particular case study or scenario. In addition, HERA also considers any manuscripts that describe alternative approaches to improving the outcomes of these processes.

Policy and regulatory issues related to human health and environmental risks
HERA considers manuscripts that present the design of environmental and public health policy measures to avoid or minimize risks associated with chemical and(or) non-chemical stressors in humans and ecosystems. In addition, manuscripts that present the analysis results of specific risk policies or policy considerations (e.g., accountability studies) are also welcome. HERA also aims to publish manuscripts that seek to improve the regulation of hazardous materials in the environment. In addition, HERA will consider manuscripts that address and characterize regulatory issues and/or mitigate current regulatory impacts relating to chemical and(or) non-chemical stressors that pose a risk to the health of humans and the ecosystem.

Human and ecological risks related to climate change
Climate change presents challenging risks to the health of humans and ecosystems across the globe. HERA seeks to publish manuscripts that address or characterize human and ecological risks associated with climate change in different regions of the world. HERA also focuses on publishing manuscripts that present or discuss novel approaches to risk-based adaptation and risk mitigation associated with climate change.

HERA will not consider any manuscripts in the following areas: infectious disease (unless it involves chemical stressors), economic risk, business and marketing risk, information technology, cybersecurity, transportation, human trafficking, social conflicts, poverty, and risks associated with outdoor or recreational activities.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 
Mark Gregory Robson 
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences 
Rutgers University 
59 Dudley Road, Rm 204A Foran Hall 
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8525 USA 
robson@aesop.rutgers.edu
 
EDITOR EMERITUS
Barry L. Johnson 
Rollins School of Public Health
Emory University
Atlanta, GA  
USA
 
ASSOCIATE EDITORS 
John Adgate 
University of Colorado 
Denver, CO 
USA 

James D. Blando 
Old Dominion University 
Norfolk, VA 
USA 

Margaret Brennan-Tonetta 
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey 
New Brunswick, NJ 
USA

Maureen Y. Lichtveld
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
USA
 
Qingyu Meng
Rutgers School of Public Health
Piscataway, NJ
USA 
 
Lisa H. Nowell
U.S. Geological Survey
Sacramento, CA
USA 
Mary Kay O’Rourke 
University of Arizona 
Tuscon, AZ 
USA
Robert A. Pastorok
Integral Consulting, Inc.
Mercer Island, WA
USA
 
Chris Saranko
Geosyntec Consultants
Kennesaw, GA
USA  
 
Wattasit Siriwong
Chulalongkorn University
Pathumwan, Bangkok 
Thailand

Leah Stuchal
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
USA 
 
Edwin van Wijngaarden 
University of Rochester 
Rochester, NY 
USA
 
Desheng Dash Wu
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Canada
 
EDITORIAL BOARD
Richard Abendan-  Research Triangle Institute (RTI), Manila, Philippines 
Elizabeth L. Anderson -  Exponent, Inc. Alexandria, VA, USA 
David Brown -  Health Risk Consultants, Inc., Westport, CT, USA 
Jo-Anne Cavanagh –  Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand 
J. Milton Clark -  U.S. EPA, Region 5 Chicago, IL, USA 
Patricia V. Cline -  University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA 
Susan M. Cormier -  U.S. EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment, Cincinnati, OH, USA 
George P. Daston -  Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH, USA 
Michael H. Dong -  California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA 
Mohamed I. Elsaid - Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA 
Valery E. Forbes -  University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA 
Karen F. Gaines -  Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, USA 
David Gaylor -  Gaylor & Associates, LLC Eureka Springs, AR, USA
Katarzyna Goralczyk -  Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Warsaw, Poland 
Laura C. Green -  CDM Smith, Cambridge, MA, USA 
Beverly A. Hale -  University of Guelph Guelph, ON, Canada 
Barry T. Hart -  Water Science Pty, Echuca, Australia 
A. Wallace Hayes -  Harvard School of Public Health Boston, MA, USA 
Biao Huang -  Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nnajing, China 
Robert J. Huggett -  College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
Janefrances N. Ihedioha -  University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria 
Cengiz Kahraman  - Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey 
Susan A. Laessig -  US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA 
Wayne G. Landis -  Western Washington University Bellingham, WA, USA 
Brenda Le  - Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA 
Morris Maslia -  ATSDR Atlanta, GA, USA 
Lynn S. McCarty -  L.S. McCarty Scientific Research & Consulting, Newmarket, ON, Canada 
David McCready -  The Dow Chemical Company, South Charleston, WV, USA 
Michael J. McKee -  Missouri Department of Conservation, St. Louis, MO, USA 
Kelly R. Munkittrick -  University of New Brunswick St. John, New Brunswick, Canada 
Edward V. Ohanian -  U.S. EPA Washington, DC, USA 
Parinya Panuwet -  Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA 
Héctor Luis Maldonado Pérez -  Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Jian Peng -  Peking University. Beijing, China 
Iain F. H. Purchase -  Risk Assessment & Toxicology Wilmslow, Cheshire, United Kingdom 
Kenneth H. Reckhow -  Duke University,  Durham, NC  
Clemencia Rodriguez -  Environmental Health Directorate, Shenton Park, Western Australia 
George M. Rusch -  Honeywell, Morristown, NJ, USA 
Rosalind A. Schoof -  ENVIRON, Seattle, WA, USA 
R. Woodrow Setzer  - U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 
Mukesh Sharma -   Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur,  Kanpur,  India 
Michael Siegrist -  ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland 
Keith R. Solomon -  University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada 
Julann A. Spromberg -  NOAA Fisheries,  Seattle, WA
Leslie T. Stayner -  University of Illinois Chicago, IL, USA
Pawel Strucinski -  National Institute of Public Heath - National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland 
William H. van der Schalie -  U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research, Fort Detrick, MD, USA 
Theo G. Vermeire -  National Institute of Public Health and the Environment Bilthoven, The Netherlands 
Katherine von Stackelberg -  Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA 
Christopher M. Teaf - Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA 
Barbara T. Walton –  U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA  
Dong Wang -  Nanjing University, Nanjing, China 
Annetta P. Watson -  Oak Ridge National Lab Oak Ridge, TN, USA 
Eleonora Wcislo -  Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, Katowice, Poland 
Robert M. Wilkenfeld -  Chevron Environmental Management Co. San Ramon, CA, USA 
Pamela Williams -  E Risk Sciences, LLP, Boulder, CO, USA 
Philip L. Williams -  University of Georgia Athens, GA, USA 
Ross Wilson -  Wilson Scientific Consulting, Vancouver, BC, Canada 
Jae-Ho Yang -  Catholic University of Taegu Namgu Taegu, Korea