Journal article
Making Waves: Moving beyond the 1 in 10,000 benchmark in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) through evidence-informed risk approaches and systems decision-making
Water research (Oxford), v 289(Part A), 124903
15 Jan 2026
PMID: 41205330
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Public health decision-making for the management of infectious diseases quantifies human risks, typically segmented by vulnerability groupings to evaluate risk management interventions. While many paradigms are available for evaluating risks and their tradeoffs, relatively few are used in practice. Many sectors such as water reuse rely on benchmark approaches for risk, such as 1 in 10,000 infections per person per year. As risk-risk tradeoffs are increasingly considered in quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRA), there is a need to broaden acceptability criteria beyond such approaches to consider holistic aspects of decision-making such as broader sustainability and cost impacts, and fairness. Evidence-based benchmarks can be incorporated into a systems approach to risk management by providing a more integrated alternative to strict policy-recommended one-size-fits-all targets. Potential research gaps for both existing and forward-looking metrics of acceptable microbial risk and alternative approaches are identified, with water reuse as a focus area.
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Details
- Title
- Making Waves: Moving beyond the 1 in 10,000 benchmark in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) through evidence-informed risk approaches and systems decision-making
- Creators
- Kerry A. Hamilton (Corresponding Author) - Arizona State UniversityHunter Quon - Arizona State UniversityNicholas J. Ashbolt - Queensland University of TechnologyPatrick L. Gurian - Drexel UniversityEva Reynaert - German Environment AgencyCharles N. Haas - Drexel UniversityEberhard Morgenroth - Institute of Environmental EngineeringAmanda M. Wilson - University of Arizona
- Publication Details
- Water research (Oxford), v 289(Part A), 124903
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry Laureate FellowshipSAAFECRC from the Australian Commonwealth governmentSouth Australian state governmentSwiss National Science Foundation: 222308
NJA is fund by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry Laureate Fellowship and SAAFECRC, which receives funding from the Australian Commonwealth government along with the South Australian state government; ER was funded by a Postdoc mobility grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant 222308); The authors thank Dr. Jay Garland and Dr. Michael Jahne at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their valuable comments and feedback on this manuscript.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001620481200005
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105020912805
- Other Identifier
- 991022129641404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Environmental
- Environmental Sciences
- Water Resources